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NEWS RELEASES
HOUSTON – May 20, 2009 –
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of National Emergency Medical
Services for Children Day (EMSC), Texas Children's Hospital and the
EMSC State Partnership are raising awareness of the exceptional care
that sick and injured children receive from regional paramedics,
both at the scene of an emergency and en route to the hospital.
Today, on National EMSC Day, physicians from Texas Children's
Emergency Center will honor EMTs from Houston Fire Department’s
Station 13 and Station 62, and the supervisor from Station 50 who
were involved in a life-saving decision regarding a patient who came
to Texas Children’s Emergency Center.
“We cannot say enough about these heroes and their contribution to
saving numerous young lives each year,” said Manish I Shah, M.D., an
emergency medicine physician at Texas Children's Hospital. “They
play a vital role in the final outcome of a child’s recovery by
initiating necessary treatment and stabilizing the patient before
arrival at the hospital.”
When a call comes in to the 911 operator, the paramedic unit closest
to the person in distress is the first to respond. If the first
responders determine that the injury is critical, they call for
backup from a supervisor and other higher level providers in that
region. Such an incident occurred recently and the EMTs were able to
save the life of a dying teen.
The 911 call came into the EMTs as a “fall.” When the EMTs arrived
at the scene, they found the young teen unresponsive and lying next
to a bicycle. They realized the patient was not breathing and did
not have a pulse. They accurately identified a heart arrhythmia and
“shocked” the teen’s heart into beating again. They intubated the
patient to stabilize the airway for the trip to Texas Children’s.
The child has recovered and is now doing well.
Dr. Paul Sirbaugh, pediatric medical director for Houston Fire
Department Emergency Medical Services and staff physician at Texas
Children’s Emergency Center, Dr. Manish Shah, co-investigator for
the Texas EMSC State Partnership and staff physician at Texas
Children’s Emergency Center and Mr. Tony Gilchrest, program manager
for the Texas EMSC State Partnership will go to Station 13, located
at 2215 W. 43 Street, to present a plaque to the crew from Stations
13 and 62 and to the supervisor of Station 50 who joined forces in
the life-saving incident. Following the presentation, crew members
and colleagues will celebrate with a barbecue lunch.
It is estimated that 30 million children will receive emergency care
this year. EMSC is a federally-funded program that has been in place
for 25 years. There is an EMSC office in each state and territory of
the US, and events have been planned nationwide to recognize EMSC
Day.
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