EMS management/crush injury

[Krin135 at aol.com]

In a message dated 13-Jun-07 10:17:55 Central Daylight Time,  
pjcabdds at mchsi.com writes:

Air Evac  has a central dispatch in Missouri. In 
individual cases there is likely to  be variation about who is in charge, 
with 
the medical director only  getting into matters of dispute


Oh? Since when?
 
in the areas of Missouri that I've worked in for the past 15 months, there  
are no less than FOUR different HEMS outfits, with LifeFlight Eagle in KC;  
Staff for Life, University of MO Med Center, Columbia; the ARCH in St  Louis, and 
AirEvac Lifeteam, a whole commercial, subscription supported system  all 
across the state...each one has separate dispatch numbers, with the first  three 
outfits coordinating primarily through the respective children's medical  
centers (Children's Mercy in KC, University Children's in Columbia, and Cardinal  
Glennon (SLU)/Children's (BJC/Wash U) in St Louis for neonatal/PICU  pickups.
 
There are many field pick ups for trauma cases, as most of the small town  
hospitals don't have anything approaching a surgeon in house on a regular basis. 
 Most of the cardiac centers also have a good relationship with the helo  
outfits...for example, I had a patient with a recurrent STEMI from a blocked  
stent a while back...because of field recognition by the medic, and quick  
response by the helo unit, the patient was in the air within 50 minutes of first  
contact, and in the cath lab in a shade under 90 minutes from first contact,  
despite it being 70 miles from the home to the cath lab.
 
ck
Charles S. Krin, DO FAAFP



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.