National consensus on communication in prehospital trauma care, the DENIM study.

Background: In the Netherlands prehospital trauma care is provided by emergency medical services (EMS) nurses. This care is extended by Physician staffed Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (P-HEMS) for the more severely injured patient. Prehospital communication is a factor of influence on the identification of these patients and the dispatch of P-HEMS.

Limitations in Prehospital Communication Between Trauma Helicopter, Ambulance Services, and Dispatch Centers.

Background: Prehospital communication with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is carried out in hectic situations. Proper communication among all medical personal is required to enhance collaboration, to provide the best care and enable shared situational awareness.

Objective: The objective of this article was to give insight into current Dutch prehospital emergency care communication among all EMS and evaluate the usage of a new physician staffed helicopter EMS (P-HEMS) cancellation model.

The Hypoxia Alarm of a Multigas Analyzer Is Triggered During Helicopter Takeoffs in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Operations.

Objective: Safety in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) settings might be enhanced by the routine use of portable multigas analyzers to indicate hypoxic ambient air mixtures and the presence of hazardous gases.

Methods: In our HEMS (EC-135, Lifeliner 1, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), we introduced a professional multigas analyzer (Gas Alert Max XT II; Honeywell Analytics, Lincolnshire, IL) to prospectively detect possible hazardous gas mixtures. This analyzer measures ambient oxygen percentage (FO2, 0%-30%), carbon monoxide (CO, 0-1,000 ppm), hydrogen sulfide (H2S, 0-200 ppm), and combustibles (lower explosive limit, %).

Protocol of the DENIM study: a Delphi-procedure on the identification of trauma patients in need of care by physician-staffed Mobile Medical Teams in the Netherlands.

Background: In The Netherlands, standard prehospital trauma care is provided by emergency medical services and can be supplemented with advanced trauma care by Mobile Medical Teams. Due to observed over and undertriage in the dispatch of the Mobile Medical Team for major trauma patients, the accuracy of the dispatch criteria has been disputed. In order to obtain recommendations to invigorate the dispatch criteria, this study aimed at reaching consensus in expert opinion on the question; which acute trauma patient is in need of care by a Mobile Medical Team? In this paper we describe the protocol of the DENIM study (a Delphi-procedure on the identification of prehospital trauma patients in need of care by Mobile Medical Teams).

Airway obstruction due to aspiration of muddy water.

We report a case of complete airway obstruction due to aspiration of muddy water. An innovative approach to clear the airway is described, which may be a potentially life saving manoeuver in similar cases of suspected muddy water aspiration.