prehospitalisen

Prehospitalisation, also known as prehospital care, refers to medical care delivered before a patient reaches a hospital. It is provided at the scene of an emergency or during transport by emergency medical services (EMS), including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, physicians when available, nurses, and trained lay responders. The core purpose is to stabilize life-threatening conditions, control worsening, and ensure a safe and efficient handover to hospital staff.

The scope of prehospital care includes initial scene management, rapid assessment, airway and breathing support, circulation stabilization, trauma care, pain relief, and basic pharmacologic interventions within the responder’s scope of practice. Common interventions are airway management, oxygen therapy, bleeding control, immobilization of suspected fractures, IV or intraosseous access, monitoring, and communication with receiving facilities. Triage decisions help determine transport priority and destination, balancing on-scene treatment with speed to definitive care. Some systems emphasize rapid transport (scoop-and-run), while others favor on-scene stabilization (stay-and-play) depending on patient condition and distance to equipped facilities.

Benefits of effective prehospital care include reduced time to definitive treatment, improved survival and functional outcomes in conditions such as cardiac events, strokes, severe trauma, and respiratory emergencies. Ongoing data collection and communication with hospitals support continuity of care, quality improvement, and system planning.

Challenges include disparities in coverage and resources, varying training standards, remote or hostile environments, responder safety, legal scope of practice, and integration of prehospital data with hospital records. Continuous training, standardized protocols, and interoperable communication systems are central to improving outcomes in prehospitalisation.