Category Archives: Tips

Adult Infusions Mission Aide-Mémoire (MAM)

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Dr Richard McQuillan

It’s 1am at a motor vehicle accident. RSI is complete; the patient is being loaded to the ambulance and established on the Hamilton ventilator. What rates should we start the sedative infusions at? And with everything else going on, how … Continue reading →

Posted in Analgesia & Sedation, drugs, General PH&RM, human factors, MAM, Tips | Tagged 1.2.5, 1.2.8, 1.2.9, infusions, inter-hospital, pre-hospital | Leave a comment

One Lung Ventilation in Retrieval Medicine

Posted on March 30, 2023 by sunell85

Part of our education day on Jan 4th 2023 focussed on the rare but confronting need to move to one lung ventilation (OLV) in the pre-hospital or retrieval environment. We heard from Dr John Floridis, a rural generalist and emergency … Continue reading →

Posted in General PH&RM, Interhospital, Tips | Tagged 1.2.7, dlt, double lumen tube, one lung ventilation, single lung ventilation, slv | Leave a comment

Reflecting on two months as a Sydney HEMS registrar

Posted on October 20, 2022 by robertlloyd85

Uniform fitted. Induction complete. 10-mission milestone reached. It has been a learning frenzy. I’m a UK-trained emergency physician, and am two months into my year as a Sydney HEMS registrar. Some of my early reflections on the experience have had … Continue reading →

Posted in General PH&RM, human factors, Tips, training | Tagged 1.2.1, 3.1.1, 4.1.1, education, induction, pre-hospital, retrieval, Trauma | 2 Comments

Getting the hang of the Hamilton Ventilator:

Posted on September 30, 2021 by franarno

About the Hamilton we use: Most common Vent settings we use and how to set them up: (S)-CMV: Synchronised Continuous Mandatory Ventilation mode- a pressure- regulated volume controlled mode SIMV: Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation- a volume-controlled mode. Power on. Complete … Continue reading →

Posted in General PH&RM, Interhospital, Tips | Tagged 1.1.9, 1.2.7, equipment, hamilton, interhospital, ventilation, ventilator | Leave a comment

Comms for Docs: Understanding Communication Interfaces and Options in Our Aviation Setting

Posted on April 18, 2021 by franarno

Pre-hospital and retrieval medicine, with its high acuity patients, high adrenaline environment, noise levels, geographical challenges, and the unexpected nature of what each individual job can bring, creates an environment in which communication is critical; both in terms of communicating … Continue reading →

Posted in General PH&RM, Tips, training | Tagged 1.1.9, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, comms, communication, radio, sat phone | Leave a comment

Zoll X Series Monitor HR/PR Tone – Deep Dive

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Simon Ho

‘The patient’s sats were 100% when I pushed the induction drugs. I thought the sats were fine as the pitch of the beeping from the monitor stayed the same, but when I looked back the patient had already started to … Continue reading →

Posted in General PH&RM, Tips | Tagged human factors, monitoring, zoll monitor | Leave a comment

AiR – Learning from the Airway Registry [January 2018]

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Natalie May

Intubations this month: 27 Airway Registry learning points reflect the challenges described and wisdom shared by Sydney HEMS personnel and guests at the Clinical Governance Airway Registry presentation for January 2018. Cases are discussed non-contemporaneously, anonymised and amalgamated over a … Continue reading →

Posted in Airway, Airway Registry, Tips | Tagged AiR, airway, Airway Registry, beach, FOAMed | Leave a comment

Vascular & Osseous Access in Resuscitation

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Cliff Reid

Cliff Reid and Geoff Healy discuss challenges in prehospital intraosseous and intravenous access, covering how to avoid pitfalls and what their own individual practice preferences are in the prehospital and in-hospital settings (22 mins).

Posted in General PH&RM, Podcasts, Tips | Tagged equipment, vascular access | 6 Comments

HEMS Education Day Summary 2017/1

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Cliff Reid

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Airway, General PH&RM, simulation, Tips, training | Comments Off

Airway microskills references

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Cliff Reid

Here the references for articles quoted in the Airway Microskills Clinical Governance Day Use of Storz C-Mac® Khan RM, Haris A, Sharma P, Kaul N. Oxygenating patients during difficult videolaryngoscopy. Anaesthesia. 2015 Sep 15;70(10):1214–4 Masters J, Rope T. Suction tube-facilitated … Continue reading →

Posted in General PH&RM, Tips | Tagged airway, CGD | Leave a comment