ABSTRACTS
Why Race to the Rescue? Lights and Sirens Are Not Indicated in Most Motor Vehicle Collision ResponseAuthor: Charlotte Rogers NRP BS | Training Officer | Utah Valley University, Mountain West Ambulance Associate Authors: Zirker, Braxton O. AEMT | LaLumia, Andrea M. NRP MEd | Persin, Luke A. EMT DO | Beckstead, Rylee E. MStat | Kupas, Douglas F. NRP MD
Background The use of lights and sirens (L&S) in emergency medical services (EMS) responses to motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) has been a longstanding practice aimed at reducing response times and improving patient outcomes. However, recent studies question the safety and efficacy of this approach. Our objective is to determine the prevalence of L&S response to MVCs and the rate of potentially lifesaving interventions (PLSI) resulting from those responses. Methods This is a retrospective descriptive analysis of data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System. We included all 911 responses by EMS to reported MVCs in 2023. We analyzed these responses for use of L&S to the scene, unit disposition, and potential life saving interventions (PLSI) performed. PLSI was defined as medication and procedural interventions previously identified as critical and time-sensitive. Subgroups within the available data definitions were analyzed for their rate of PLSI. Results There were 2,340,433 911 responses to MVCs from 12,104 agencies. L&S were used during response to 90.05% of these. The responses had the following outcomes: cancellation (18.89%), no patient found (6.38%), patient contact (54.33%), and patient refusal (15.56%). Automatic collision notification systems were the source for only 0.74% of these MVC responses. PLSI was performed in 3.53% of all 911 MVC responses. When patient contact was made, subgroups including motorcycle crash and pedestrian struck had the highest rates of PLSI (19.29% and 14.12%, respectively). When these subgroups are excluded, the PLSI rate for all other MVC responses is reduced to 2.97%. Conclusions When MVCs involving motorcycles or pedestrians are excluded, the rate of PLSI associated with response to MVCs is only 2.97%. The risk of routine L&S response to all of these incidents in relation to the effect of saving a couple minutes is not clinically justified. Future study may identify clinical or other data from emergency medical dispatch in additional subsets of responses to MVCs with even lower rates of PLSI that may further reduce the benefit of L&S response.
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