ABSTRACTS
A Two-Year Analysis of Prehospital Animal EncountersAuthor: Ginny Kaplan PhD, MHS, Paramedic, FAEMS | Department Chair & Assistant Professor | Methodist University Associate Authors: Hubble, Michael W., PhD, MBA, NRP
Introduction Insufficient evidence exists elucidating emergency calls for service related to prevalence, acuity, and treatment of animal encounters seen and treated by emergency medical service (EMS) clinicians. Methods Retrospective analyses of the 2022 and 2023 ESO Research Data Collaborative were performed. Patients were included if mechanisms of injury related to encounters with any Animalia. Descriptive statistics were utilized to explore characteristics of the population stratified by year, while chi-square and ANOVA were used to ascertain the relationship between certain characteristics based on the type of Animalia encountered. Results Overall, 46,751 patients were included: 21,296 in 2022 and 25,455 in 2023. After merging both years, 51.4% were male, 63.2% were Caucasian, 55.2% occurred in the southern United States, and 67.1% occurred at a home or residence. The majority of encounters were with dogs (74.4%), followed by insects (7.7%), non-venomous other animals (6.5%), and cats (3.65%). Birds, , other marine life, reptiles, alligators, arachnids, rats, and sharks comprised the remaining 7.8%. The most common medications provided by EMS included Fentanyl (6.7%), Ondansetron (3.75%), and Diphenhydramine (2.1%), while common interventions included bandaging (21.8%) and IVs (16.9%). Overall, there were 54 (0.2%) cardiac arrests, most of which were the result of encounters with dogs (46.3%). In total, 49.6% were transported non-emergently, and 83.5% were discharged home from the emergency department. When comparing the type of animal to transport mode (ground ambulance, aeromedical, etc.), region, gender, and race, each year was independently significant (p<0.01). Conclusion s More research is needed in this area particularly related to disaggregating the types of animals being encountered. This study could prove useful in helping to establish a foundation of animal encounters requiring emergency services in the US as well as updated curricula and field protocols.
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