Non-technical skills in the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: is it time for a pit stop?

Aims: To ascertain an understanding and identify if there are barriers to the use of non-technical skills (NTS) in an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by student paramedics.

Methods: An initial literature review was completed using online databases (Medline, PubMed, AMED, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL) and MeSH terms (prehospital, paramedic, ambulance, EMS, non-technical skills, soft skills, crew resource management, team resource management, human factors). A mixed methods study using an adapted questionnaire (using existing, validated NTS questions) was applied to a convenience sample of student paramedics.

Medical Emergency Workload of a Regional UK HEMS Service.

Objective: Regionalized trauma networks have been established in England to centralize specialist care at dedicated centers of excellence throughout the country. Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in the West Midlands region have been redesigned to form an integrated component of such systems. The continued use of such valuable and scarce resources for medical emergencies requires evaluation.

Utilisation of a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for equestrian accidents in a regional major trauma network in the United Kingdom.

Introduction: The utilisation of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in response to equestrian accidents has been an integral part of operations for many years throughout the UK. The recent establishment of major trauma networks in the UK has placed great emphasis on the appropriate tasking of HEMS units to cases where added benefit can be provided and the incidence of time critical injury in cases of equestrian accidents has been shown to be low. This study assesses the impact made on the utilisation of the different HEMS resources for cases of equestrian accidents within the West Midlands following the launch of the regional trauma network.

Prehospital anaesthesia performed by physician/critical care paramedic teams in a major trauma network in the UK: a 12 month review of practice.

Introduction: In the West Midlands region of the UK, delivery of pre-hospital care has been remodelled through introduction of a 24 h Medical Emergency Response Incident Team (MERIT). Teams including physicians and critical care paramedics (CCP) are deployed to incidents on land-based and helicopter-based platforms. Clinical practice, including delivery of rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia (RSI), is underpinned by standard operating procedures (SOP).