From the Division of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC. USA
Correspondence
Address reprint requests to Mr Brown, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Medical Services, Building M, Physicians Quadrangle, Greenville, NC 27858.
From the Division of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC. USA
Correspondence
Address reprint requests to Mr Brown, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Medical Services, Building M, Physicians Quadrangle, Greenville, NC 27858.
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Abstract
This study examined whether emergency medical technicians (EMTs) withhold oxygen from hypothetical patients whom emergency physicians would treat with high-flow oxygen, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. A survey describing 12 hypothetical patients was distributed to 33 emergency physicians, 30 newly trained EMTs, and 27 experienced EMTs. For each patient, the respondents were asked to identify the most appropriate prehospital oxygen administration rate as “low flow” or “high flow.” Using an alpha value of .05, χ2 analysis was used to compare the frequency of high-flow oxygen administration for the three groups. Newly trained EMTs were significantly more likely than physicians to administer high-flow oxygen to patients with COPD who were not receiving home oxygen. Otherwise, the oxygen administration practices of EMTs were not inconsistent with those of emergency physicians.
