title: [The Emergency Medical Service in Italy: role and training of medical staff].
abstract: At present, in our country, health care for patients in a critical condition is deficient, especially for those in a traumatised state, as well as for those with conditions which worsen suddenly and rapidly (be they conditions which become acute or which are chronic but then become serious). In all the western industrialised countries, traumas represent the most frequent cause of death among the population under 40 years. Emergency intervention procedures in Italy are organised based on best practice Guidelines, issued in April 1996, which give directions regarding the organisational and functional requirements both for the emergency network in general, and the specific operational units which make up the Emergency Departments at level 1 and 2. From the Governmental/Regional Conference which took place in 2003, a directive was issued whose scope covered "Guidelines regarding the formation and ongoing, up-to-date training for personnel working in the emergency departments". In order to bring this training of the medical personnel up to speed so that the present clinical and organisational requirements at the various levels within the emergency/urgent intervention system can be met, the principal scientific companies working in the emergency/urgent need sector urgently ask for the intervention of the governmental bodies responsible for the School for Specialisation in Emergency Medicine.
authors.affiliation: Unita Operativa di Pronto Soccorso, Ospedale Civile Vittorio Cosentino, Cariati Marina, Cosenza. mimmourso71@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Domenico Lorenzo
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Urso
mesh_terms: D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D000078329:Workforce