Emergency medical services: teamwork to fight sudden death

It is estimated that upwards of 20% of accidental highway and prehospital coronary deaths could be averted by the availability of prompt, effective prehospital care; this implies that approximately 35,000 deaths from myocardial infarctions and 12,000 deaths from vehicular trauma are preventable. So, statistically, are 13,000 deaths from cerebrovascular accidents, poisonings, drowning, and other accidents. There are nearly 12 million nonfatal injuries each year, the suffering, cost and disabilities of which are incalculable. It is clear that these statistics demand some type of unified multi-professional response. Although not perfect, Emergency Medical Services is clearly the most effective available means of reversing the present rates of sudden death and disability.