Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Nov 2005
Physician-staffed HEMS dispatch in the Netherlands: Adequate deployment or minimal utilization?
In the Netherlands, a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical system (HEMS), called the Helicopter Mobile Medical Team (HMMT), provides prehospital care for severely injured patients in addition to ambulance services. This HMMT has proven to increase chances of survival and reduce morbidity. HMMT dispatch is performed following certain dispatch criteria. The goal of this study was to analyze actual dispatch rates and assess the protocol adherence of the emergency dispatchers in Rotterdam regarding HMMT dispatch. ⋯ HEMS dispatch rates and dispatch criteria adherence are low (14%). Better protocol adherence by emergency dispatchers could lead to a sevenfold increase of HMMT dispatches. The reasons for suboptimal protocol adherence remain unclear and persist, despite proven value of the HMMT in reducing patient mortality and morbidity.
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Air medical journal · Nov 2005
Effect of transport team interventions on stabilization time in neonatal and pediatric interfacility transports.
During interfacility transport, the length of time taken by the transport team to prepare the patient for transport is often perceived as a problem by referring hospital staff. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on time at the referring hospital of the number and complexity of interventions performed by the transport team to stabilize the patient prior to transfer. ⋯ The need for the transport team paramedics to perform high level interventions significantly increased the time at the referring hospital. In contrast, the time taken for them to perform or reperform low level interventions, whether one procedure or two, was not a significant source of delay.