Train hard, fight easy. A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance mantra. We undertake regular and varied training days to ensure that, no matter the circumstances, we are always ready to perform whatever emergency procedure is required at the patient’s side.
Our Specialist Paramedic Lead for Education, Mike Funge, talks us through a recent session where they looked at managing patients who have sustained a serious head injury.
“The session began with a guest speaker from the neurosurgical unit at Southampton General Hospital, providing us with updates on new evidence and guidelines around this type of injury. They also reviewed the commonly seen type of head injuries that could occur, from both trauma and medical incidents, as well as speaking about those that are less common and how these may present.
“This provided us with valuable insight regarding the latest medical literature but also how our intervention in the pre-hospital environment truly has a direct impact on patient outcome. The vital importance of Air Ambulance intervention on this type of injury was stressed and highlighted as a factor that can make a significant difference to a patient’s outcome.”
Putting skills to the test
“We then undertook a range of simulations that incorporated elements from the morning session. This allowed us to practice how we might manage these situations and how best we would treat these patients.
“Using a dedicated set of training bags that are fully replicated to mirror our live clinical kit, we were able to practice with all of the kit and equipment that we would carry on both the helicopter and the cars, giving us valuable experience when managing this group of patients.”
Training such as this helps us provide the very best critical care to patients like Claire, who sustained a traumatic head injury when she was hit by a motorbike near her home in Basingstoke.
Had Claire not been given specialist care on scene and flown to a specialist neurology hospital, the pressure and bleed on her brain could have been fatal.
Claire and her family
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