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A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
11:27

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn

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Prehospital paediatric emergencies treated by an Australian helicopter emergency medical service

Claire L Barker1, Andrew D Weatherall

  • 1CareFlight, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

European Journal of Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
|June 8, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Injuries in children treated by helicopter emergency medical services are often severe, requiring critical interventions like intubation and IV access. Paediatric prehospital care training is crucial for medical practitioners.

Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Paediatric Care
  • Trauma Surgery

Background:

  • Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) play a vital role in managing critically ill or injured children.
  • Understanding injury mechanisms and interventions in paediatric HEMS is essential for optimizing prehospital care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe injury mechanisms and severity in paediatric patients treated by Australian HEMS.
  • To examine the frequency and types of interventions performed by HEMS teams.
  • To inform education and professional development in paediatric prehospital medicine.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort analysis of 349 paediatric patients (<16 years) treated by CareFlight in Sydney (2007-2012).
  • Data included demographics, incident type, interventions, mortality, and injuries sustained.

Main Results:

  • Falls (33%), motor vehicle incidents (30%), and sport injuries (14%) were leading causes.
  • 59% of cases involved severely injured children, with 97% of trauma cases transferred directly to a paediatric trauma center.
  • HEMS interventions included IV cannulation (61%), crystalloid bolus (29%), intubation (21%), and analgesia (15%).

Conclusions:

  • Paediatric prehospital patients often require critical care interventions.
  • Training in prehospital medicine must incorporate paediatrics.
  • Practitioners need to maintain skills in paediatric venous access, airway management, and analgesia.
Abstract

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