Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Nov 2015
Prehospital Helicopter Air Ambulances Part 2: Utilization Criteria and Training.
The decision to request a helicopter air ambulance (HAA) is critical and complex. Emergency medical service (EMS) professionals must know how to appropriately and safely use HAA resources. We sought to describe important criteria for using HAA and the prevalence of HAA-related training among EMS professionals. Then, we identified characteristics associated with receiving training. ⋯ Although their decision-making criteria appear to include the major factors recommended within current evidence-based guidelines, many nationally certified EMS professionals had not received recent HAA training.
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Air medical journal · Nov 2015
ReviewAssessment of Paramedic Ultrasound Curricula: A Systematic Review.
Prehospital ultrasound is being applied in the field. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe evidence pertaining to ultrasound curricula for paramedics specifically, including content, duration, setting, design, evaluation, and application. ⋯ Paramedic ultrasound curricula in FAST and pleural ultrasound is feasible and time effective with successful application. Although fracture detection ultrasound is being used by the special operations forces, no comprehensive curriculum was described. Curricula designed to detect cardiac standstill have been too short, and successful application by paramedics has not been shown.
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Air medical journal · Nov 2015
Association Between Difficult Airway Predictors and Failed Prehosptial Endotracheal Intubation.
Difficult airway predictors (DAPs) are associated with failure of endotracheal intubation (ETI) in the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study was to determine if DAPs are associated with failure of prehospital ETI. ⋯ Cases of FPH/SED have more DAPs than NPH/SEDs.
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Air medical journal · Nov 2015
A Ketamine Protocol and Intubation Rates for Psychiatric Air Medical Retrieval.
The air medical transfer of psychiatric patients with acute agitation is a regular requirement in only a few countries, with ours (Australia) being one of them. The optimal strategy has yet to be well described, ranging from physical restraints to general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. In an Australian air medical service, Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) rates of endotracheal intubation required for patient management were retrospectively compared before and after implementation of a ketamine sedation protocol for this patient population. ⋯ In an Australian air medical service, the implementation of a ketamine sedation protocol for the management of the acutely agitated patient requiring air transfer has reduced the number of intubations in this patient group.