© MARC
600 Broadway, Suite 200
Kansas City, MO 64105
Phone 816/474-4240
Fax 816/421-7758

Time Critical Diagnosis Plan Approved

On Jan. 21, 2011, the Mid-America Regional Council Emergency Rescue Committee (MARCER) approved a new Time Critical Diagnosis Plan for Emergency Medical Service agencies and hospitals in the Greater Kansas City region.

For patients who experience trauma, stroke or STEMI, a potentially fatal form of heart attack, time is critical. These conditions require quick assessment, diagnosis and treatment by a facility that can provide timely, definitive care to minimize risk for preventable complications and death.

The plan establishes a uniform set of criteria for the pre-hospital and inter-hospital triage and transport of Time Critical Diagnosis (TCD) patients. Local TCD plans may augment the MARCER plan in order to acknowledge and address variations in each community’s resources.

The primary focus of the MARCER TCD plan is to provide principles that facilitate the early recognition of patients suffering from STEMI, acute stroke or traumatic injuries, and expedite their transport to a facility that is able to provide definitive care within an appropriate time window.