ISSUE 51 | CLINICAL CORNER.
CLINICAL CORNER. | ISSUE 50
clinical corner. Kit Bags
T
his year we have reviewed the kit bags that our crew take to scene to treat our patients. Our doctors and
critical care paramedics (CCPs) need to be physically fit to do this job because the range of equipment they have to carry to and from scene is extensive and can be heavy. Our previous kit bags weighed around 18kg each - to put it into perspective that is nearly the weight of two carry on suitcases. Reviewing the bags means that we have managed to get the weight of each bag down to around 15kg, which is much easier for the doctors and CCPs to manage. Not only is it better for their wellbeing but it means that we are carrying the most vital and useful equipment that is now much more accessible and ensures we are treating patients in the most effective way possible. We carry exactly the same kit on our helicopters and rapid response vehicles and across both Norwich and Cambridge bases. Our crew carry two main bags – a red one and a blue one and a Zoll X Series monitor. Depending on the nature of the job, they may decide to take the Oxylog 3000 Plus Ventilator, a chest trauma bag or the two RePHILL blood boxes. 8
EAAA.ORG.UK | LIFTOFF MAGAZINE
AA New t o Er A t his yea
Equipment Zone.
Pneupac babyPAC ventilator. In February this year we introduced the Pneupac babyPAC ventilator to our kit. This piece of equipment is designed to deliver ventilation to the
The bags include: Blue bag – contains airway, breathing and circulation equipment as well as basic surgical equipment and cardiac drugs. Red bag – equipment additional to what the ambulance service provide, including a blood testing machine and an ultrasound scanner (£6,400 each). Further drugs to treat more complex medical emergencies are carried, along with a device that can measure blood pressure in real time directly from the artery.
small, fragile lungs of new-born or young patients. The ventilator allows our critical care team to take over a patient’s breathing and deliver specialist support throughout a transfer to hospital. We adapted the helicopter interior to carry the ventilator and our doctors and CCPs underwent training prior to the babyPAC being introduced. Pneupac babyPAC ventilators cost £5,500 each.
Zoll X Series monitor (£34,000 each) – Provides recordings of heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, and invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring. It also carries a temperature probe to measure core temperature. Oxylog 3000 Plus ventilator – when patients are anaesthetised we can breathe for them and adjust the ventilator according to what they need. Chest trauma bag – this contains over 10 different items of sterile surgical equipment allowing the crew to safely and effectively perform open heart surgery in certain types of chest injury. RePHILL blood boxes – as part of the RePHILL trial we carry two sealed bags that could either carry blood products or saline to be administered to patients who have life-threatening bleeding.
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