European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
The effect of the introduction of a regional major trauma network on triage decisions made by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service.
A major trauma network (MTN) has been in place in the East of England, with a single hospital operating as the major trauma centre (MTC). The primary aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine whether triage destination decisions with regard to trauma patients made by a helicopter-based doctor-paramedic team are affected by the introduction of a regional trauma network. In addition, we will describe and discuss the logistics of transfer of injured patients attended by the service. ⋯ The introduction of a regional MTN has not significantly affected the triage decisions made by our physician-paramedic teams.