Norwegian Air ambulance - nice balancing act !
In the USA...the majority of the EMS Crews and Aircraft are very well trained, equipped, and certified for very advanced life support protocols. The level of care they can provide as compared to a single Doctor is probably quite comparable. In more than a few cases....the American EMS crew can handle more patients than can a single Doctor....although the patient carrying capacity of the aircraft is the normal limiting factor rather than the Med Crew being able to attend to the patients.
Flying Bell 412's...it was not uncommon to use a Ground Response Med Crew to supplement the Helicopter Med Crew which in most operations conisists of a Flight Nurse and Flight Paramedic. The Level of Care required by the Patient(s) is the more common limiting factor.
We could carry four litter patients but could not treat more than one very critical patient unless the third Med Crew Member was taken on board to handle the less critical patients. Our Helicopter Crews could attend to two critical patients in most cases.
Unless I miss what the European method is....I would assume it all revolves around maintaining an airway, controlling/stopping bleeding, treating for Shock, and immobilizing limbs, spines,necks, and heads.....and transporting the casualty to the Trauma Center in a timely and safe fashion.
The level of care that can be given on scene or inside a helicopter, no matter where it happens in the World, is less than that possible in a proper ground based Trauma Center....thus I see the on-scene effort being all about getting the Patient to the best care possible as soon as possible.....contingent to doing it as safely as possible.
Flying Bell 412's...it was not uncommon to use a Ground Response Med Crew to supplement the Helicopter Med Crew which in most operations conisists of a Flight Nurse and Flight Paramedic. The Level of Care required by the Patient(s) is the more common limiting factor.
We could carry four litter patients but could not treat more than one very critical patient unless the third Med Crew Member was taken on board to handle the less critical patients. Our Helicopter Crews could attend to two critical patients in most cases.
Unless I miss what the European method is....I would assume it all revolves around maintaining an airway, controlling/stopping bleeding, treating for Shock, and immobilizing limbs, spines,necks, and heads.....and transporting the casualty to the Trauma Center in a timely and safe fashion.
The level of care that can be given on scene or inside a helicopter, no matter where it happens in the World, is less than that possible in a proper ground based Trauma Center....thus I see the on-scene effort being all about getting the Patient to the best care possible as soon as possible.....contingent to doing it as safely as possible.
Understood.
The typical non Anglo American model that carries the doctor on a three man crew has the highest level of paramedic as the third crew-member. Adding a doctor is rarely at the expense of taking out the paramedic who is certainly the pre hospital expert and scene expert, though some programs have tried this.
The rushing of patients to the trauma centre is certainly justifiable in some circumstances, however, the focus of the doctor/paramedic team is to rush the care to the patient, unlike paramedic based teams (incl ambulance) whose focus is on rushing to the patient AND THEN rushing the patient to high level care.
So to turn your expression around a tad, some models are specialist designed to get the highest level of care to the patient as soon as possible.
What I am saying is that persons who are more used to one model may sometimes project limitations or sound practices of their model onto situations that are systemically different and therefore not always as applicable as it may appear to be. And yet, those same practices or limitations are appropriate and safe for that particular system.
The easiest example I have of this is night over water winching. Many organisations do it safely and have done using specialist training systems, equipment, go/no go protocols, etc. From outside, it appears sheer madness to do night over water winching. NVG use in EMS is another typical example. My point is that each system will be capable of different processes and techniques SAFELY within that system that do not translate so well into other environments or systems.
The typical non Anglo American model that carries the doctor on a three man crew has the highest level of paramedic as the third crew-member. Adding a doctor is rarely at the expense of taking out the paramedic who is certainly the pre hospital expert and scene expert, though some programs have tried this.
The rushing of patients to the trauma centre is certainly justifiable in some circumstances, however, the focus of the doctor/paramedic team is to rush the care to the patient, unlike paramedic based teams (incl ambulance) whose focus is on rushing to the patient AND THEN rushing the patient to high level care.
getting the Patient to the best care possible as soon as possible
What I am saying is that persons who are more used to one model may sometimes project limitations or sound practices of their model onto situations that are systemically different and therefore not always as applicable as it may appear to be. And yet, those same practices or limitations are appropriate and safe for that particular system.
The easiest example I have of this is night over water winching. Many organisations do it safely and have done using specialist training systems, equipment, go/no go protocols, etc. From outside, it appears sheer madness to do night over water winching. NVG use in EMS is another typical example. My point is that each system will be capable of different processes and techniques SAFELY within that system that do not translate so well into other environments or systems.
Last edited by helmet fire; 2nd Jun 2013 at 01:20.
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Great Wessex photo on post 54
Sorry to side step all the sniping and change the subject a bit but what are the white aerials on the sides on the nose and the one above the side door behind the winch please.
Thanks
Steve
Thanks
Steve
Last edited by strangesteve; 5th Jun 2013 at 22:52.
More Norwegian skill on display
Balancing on the crash barrier with wheels would have been a real show act
skadi
Last edited by skadi; 13th Aug 2013 at 05:45.
You reckon there might have been a change in SOP's lately?
Does everyone crash in the same place there????