Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control Measures for COVID-19 for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control Measures for COVID-19 for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Emergency medical services (EMS) play a vital role in COVID-19 outbreak response and case management by responding to requests for assistance, triaging patients, and providing emergency medical treatment and transport for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 persons.

Unlike patient care in the controlled environment of a healthcare facility, care and transports by EMS present unique challenges due to:

  • The nature of the setting.
  • Enclosed space during transport.
  • Frequent need for rapid medical decision-making, interventions with limited information, and a varying range of patient acuity and jurisdictional healthcare resources.

 

Type
Guides/Guidelines
Topic
Communicable Diseases
COVID-19
Language
English
Publisher
National Department of Health
Year
2020