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Daily scan
Paramedic research, 9 October 2026
10 new paramedic and prehospital papers from the 9 October 2026 scan.
Listen to the 9 October 2026 podcast episode
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Only 60% of paramedic-suspected STEMI confirmed
A retrospective Victorian statewide ambulance registry cohort (2020–25) followed up paramedic-suspected STEMI presentations and found STEMI confirmed in only 60% of those with a recorded discharge diagnosis, with 30-day mortality of 6.5%.
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Bystander CPR up but outcomes flat in the very old
Analysis of 322,943 bystander-witnessed OHCA patients aged ≥65 in the All-Japan Utstein Registry (2005–22) found bystander CPR rose over time but stalled near 50%, and 1-month favourable neurological outcome stayed around 1% in those aged ≥90 despite CPR rates near 80%.
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CPR injuries common after long arrests
A single-centre retrospective cohort of 136 OHCA patients found CPR-related injuries in 43% (16.9% clinically significant), with CPR duration over 20 minutes — not ECPR or mechanical CPR — independently associated with injury (OR 2.45).
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Ice-water immersion wins for drug hyperthermia
A systematic review of 71 studies (1,932 patients) comparing cooling methods for drug-induced (and exercise-induced) hyperthermia found ice-water and cold-water immersion fastest at ~0.16–0.17 °C/min and clearly superior to passive cooling.
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Video laryngoscopy edges out direct in kids
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies (17 observational, 1 RCT) found video laryngoscopy for paediatric emergency intubation was associated with higher first-pass success (RR 1.11) and fewer severe adverse events (RR 0.76), on very low certainty evidence.
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Sepsis intubations: haemodynamic trouble common
A retrospective analysis of the ANZEDAR registry (79 hospitals, 2010–26) covering 280 sepsis intubations found haemodynamic complications in 27.9% and peri-intubation cardiac arrest in 4.6%, with less waveform capnography use than non-sepsis intubations.
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Field fluids before ROSC in crush arrests
A single-centre retrospective study of 37 earthquake victims in cardiac arrest after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes found ROSC in 27% — exclusively in the 25 patients who received pre-hospital fluids (mean ~1.5 L) — with better pH, lactate, and potassium on arrival.
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12-lead transmission lags equipment availability
A national survey of 588 of Japan's 723 fire departments found 92.7% had at least partial 12-lead ECG recording capability but only 9.7% routinely recorded and transmitted, with chest pain/ACS protocols — not equipment — the strongest driver of transmission uptake.
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Little evidence for call handler wellbeing programs
A PRISMA systematic review of 12 studies of health, wellbeing, and job satisfaction interventions for emergency call handlers in ambulance, police, and fire services found limited evidence that any intervention works, with no role-specific programs validated.
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Updated field triage rules catch nearly all major trauma
A Canadian health-records review of 1,427 patients transported to a level 1 trauma centre found the 2021 US field triage guidelines were highly sensitive (97.3%) but poorly specific (13.3%) for identifying need for trauma centre care.