FW: med copters collide

[McSwain, Norman E Jr.]

This did not go out. I'll try again

Norman
 
Norman McSwain MD
Professor, Tulane School of Medicine
Trauma Director, Charity Hospital Trauma Center
norman.mcswain at tulane.edu
504 988 5111

-----Original Message-----
From: McSwain, Norman E Jr. 
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 3:42 PM
To: Trauma & Critical Care mailing list
Subject: RE: med copters collide

That is the problem. Most of the Air services respond to calls from the
field without any pre-designed protocols for when to or not to dispatch.
It is frequently based only on weather and the pilot's decision and not
based on medical need of the patient. It is done because it is a neat
thing to do. 

Also most Air services that I have had this discussion do not use time
to the hospital (ground time vs air time) as a triage method.

The risk benefit to the patient is never considered, after all if it is
neat to fly, then the "flying billboard" of the hospital/EMS service is
benefited by the bird in the air. How many times have you seen a
billboard or TV advertisement featuring the helicopter? Perhaps I am too
cynical about this problem but no one seems to have protocols and does
not use them to triage patients and refuse transport based on
risk/benefit to the patient. 

We have EMS protocols as to who is transported to the trauma center and
who is transported to the nearest  hospital. Air services should develop
a similar protocol for dispatch of their units.

Norman
 
Norman McSwain MD
Professor, Tulane School of Medicine
Trauma Director, Charity Hospital Trauma Center
norman.mcswain at tulane.edu
504 988 5111

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org
[mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org] On Behalf Of Andrew J Bowman
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 1:11 PM
To: Trauma & Critical Care mailing list
Subject: Re: med copters collide

So, start refusing calls. There is no law (I do not think) that says you

have to take every flight especially if the facts presented do not
warrant 
air transport.

Andrew



 I'm sick
> of my flight crew being called out in all kinds of weather for
> uninjured, intoxicated patients. For times when the ground crew is
about
> to go off shift and don't want to drive the hour round trip. For a dog
> bite to the foot. And it goes on and on and on.

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