The inaugural HEMS Education Day was held in the ACE Training Centre. Here is an overview of points covered.

Mission Oversight

Cameron Edgar outlined the mission oversight process, its history, and the ways in which it has reduced risks of helicopter operations. The policy is HELI.OPS.34 – Mission Oversight.

Handover

Jimmy Bliss provided an interactive session on clinical handover, as our first topic from the Diploma in Retrieval and Transfer Medicine syllabus

Winch Stretcher Packaging and Airway Workshop

Marty Nichols ran a workshop outlining use of the patient protection bag and the NEANN Immobilisation & Extrication Jacket (NIEJ), in order to manoeuvre a patient into the winch stretcher using just two rescuers. This created an opportunity to explore optimal intubating positions in remote environments for patients in the winch stretcher. Solutions included (a) placing the stretcher on a rock platform

‘Rock’ platform allowing kneeling-height ergonomics

(b) using the NIEJ to elevate the head to the level of the stretcher side

The NIEJ has been used to support the patient in a head elevated position on the edge of the basket stretcher. Note optimal ear-to-sternal-notch alignment.

This use of the NIEJ has the added advantage of moving the patient further up to allow neck extension if a surgical airway is required

This exploratory workshop enabled the team to review options, none of which are official policy or operating procedure.

Simulation

The immersive sim designed and run by Rob Scott covered a trauma patient requiring multiple life saving interventions. Themes covered included handover, positioning of bags and equipment, task delegation, and prioritisation of resuscitative interventions.

Literature Update

The day closed with excellent summaries by Kevin Ostrowski and Claire Seiffert of recent literature and guidelines we should be familiar with:

Weaver AE, Hunter-Dunn C, Lyon RM, Lockey D, Krogh CL. The effectiveness of a “Code Red” transfusion request policy initiated by pre-hospital physicians. Injury. 2016 Jan;47(1):3–6.

Frontera JA, Lewin JJ III, Rabinstein AA, Aisiku IP, Alexandrov AW, Cook AM, et al. Guideline for Reversal of Antithrombotics in Intracranial Hemorrhage. Critical Care Medicine. 2016 Dec;44(12):2251–7.

Rhodes A, Evans LE, Alhazzani W, Levy MM, Antonelli M, Ferrer R, et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016. Critical Care Medicine. 2017 Jan;:1.

The next HEMS Training Day will be on Wednesday 5th April 2017