Physician Prehospital Care in Mexico City: Retrospective Analysis of Endotracheal Intubation in Patients with Severe Head Trauma

Abstract

Introduction: In Mexico, physicians have become part of public service prehospital care. Head injured patients are a sensitive group that can benefit from early advanced measures to protect the airway, with the objective to reduce hypoxia and maintain normocapnia.Problem: The occurrence of endotracheal intubation to patients with severe head injuries by prehospital physicians working at Mexico City's Service of Emergency Medical Care (SAMU) is unknown.Methods: A retrospective analysis of five-year data (2012-2016) from Mexico City's Medical Emergencies Regulation Center was performed. Only SAMU ambulance services were analyzed. Adult patients with a prehospital diagnosis of head injury based on mechanism of injury and physical examination with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)