European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Accurate and thorough documentation is an important part of medical care, providing a legally binding historical record of events and means of communication. Trauma is a complex multidisciplinary environment, in which documentation is particularly important, but can be poor as a result. We investigate the effect of introducing a proforma documentation booklet, acting as a physical prompt to ensure full patient assessment, as well as full documentation, on documentation quality. ⋯ This study has demonstrated the potential of the introduction of a structured proforma to significantly improve documentation quality in major trauma. In the future, all hospitals accepting trauma patients could benefit from the introduction of similar proformas.
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Horse riding is a common leisure activity associated with a significant rate of injury. Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) may be called to equestrian accidents. Accurate HEMS tasking is important to ensure appropriate use of this valuable medical resource. We sought to review HEMS response to equestrian accidents and identify factors associated with the need for HEMS intervention or transport of the patient to a major trauma centre. ⋯ Equestrian accidents represent a significant proportion of HEMS missions. The majority of patients injured in equestrian accidents do not require HEMS intervention, however, a small proportion have life-threatening injuries, requiring immediate critical intervention. Further research is warranted, particularly regarding HEMS dispatch, to further improve accuracy of tasking to equestrian accidents.