BHAS SpeedMedic |
5/25/11 4:12 PM |
Re: Lifeflight question
An Air Ambulance is normally called when every second counts, and getting a patient to definitive care would be delayed by ground transport, it may have taken a few minutes for the Helio to get there (due to making the call for help, the flight crew checking weather, warm up time, then flight time to the track) but once Kody was loaded and that bird left, it was I'm sure a brief smooth flight to the hospital. another comment was about the track ambulance not getting close to the Lifeflight chopper , Landing Zone safety ask for at the least an 80' x 80' LZ best a 200'x200' LZ . Hazzards are difficult for a flight to see from above signs, wires and poles are easy for us to see on the ground but from the air all this blends in and becomes almost invisable. One other comment was something about Paramedic vs. Nurse . This was A USAC event so I know the EMS crew had to be an ALS (Medic) crew as required by USAC. Paramedics have a wide array of Emergency Medical skill sets, including advanced airway, cardiology, Spine injury managment, and pharmacology ( This includes Narcotics for pain and head injury/ airway control). We as Emergency Medical providers have what is called the "Golden Hour" this hour starts at the time of the incident and runs untill our patient reaches definitive care Emergency/Surgical care. the chances for a positive patient outcome greatly improve when we come in under that hour. So we as EMS have a definded goal, and services such as Lifeflight, Lifeline, Air Evac, and PHI are tools to achieve the goal. I wasn't there but I will never fault anyone for making a decision in the best interest of their patient
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