Is Prehospital Advanced Life Support Harmful?
Authors: Prachi Sanghavi, Anupam B. Jena, Joseph P. Newhouse, Alan M. Zaslavsky
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

Letters5 July 2016Is Prehospital Advanced Life Support Harmful?Prachi Sanghavi, PhD, Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD, Joseph P. Newhouse, PhD, and Alan M. Zaslavsky, PhDPrachi Sanghavi, PhDFrom The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this author, Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhDFrom The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this author, Joseph P. Newhouse, PhDFrom The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this author, and Alan M. Zaslavsky, PhDFrom The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L16-0010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We read Sasson and Haukoos' editorial (1) with interest. In an ideal world, prehospital care would be consistent with evidence from randomized clinical trials that assess the efficacy of each potentially available treatment method for each patient subgroup. Large-scale observational studies like ours (2) would then assess the effectiveness of these treatments as applied in the field, like similar studies of treatment alternatives in other, better-researched fields of medicine. Because no such evidence base exists for prehospital emergency care, our observational findings assume greater importance. Despite their limitations, they provide powerful evidence that the “package” of practices ...References1. Sasson C, Haukoos JS. Is prehospital advanced life support harmful? [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:721-2. [PMID: 26457840]. doi:10.7326/M15-2192 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Sanghavi P, Jena AB, Newhouse JP, Zaslavsky AM. Outcomes of basic versus advanced life support for out-of-hospital medical emergencies. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:681-90. [PMID: 26457627]. doi:10.7326/M15-0557 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L16-0010. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoUltrasonography Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Janelle M. Guirguis-Blake , Tracy L. Beil , Caitlyn A. Senger , and Evelyn P. Whitlock Is Prehospital Advanced Life Support Harmful? Comilla Sasson and Jason S. Haukoos Is Prehospital Advanced Life Support Harmful? Jason S. Haukoos and Comilla Sasson Metrics 5 July 2016Volume 165, Issue 1Page: 70-71KeywordsAcute myocardial infarctionAmbulancesClinical trialsDisclosureElderlyEmergency medical servicesGlasgow coma scaleObservational studies ePublished: 5 July 2016 Issue Published: 5 July 2016 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2016 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...