> Is this second statement really true ? Sorry Robbie, I dont mean to be rude in
> questioning it, but to me this is a real concern. Im sure it's from a study
> somewhere. I obviously cannot overly comment on the UK situation. But locally
> here our 200 - 250 regional major traumas a year are spread over the 60
> paramedics and 50 odd technicians ( equivalents ) of our local ambulance
> service, giving a considerably higher serious trauma exposure than 1:18/12,
> although the helicopter medics gobble up a few more than the average. Surely
> your major trauma rates are not that low ? If the figure is accurate isn't
> this cause for serious concern ? Frequent training aside - seeing 1 major
> trauma every 18 months is not enough to maintain the required assessment and
> treatment skills, is it ?
This is a much bandied about figure in paramedic discussion, but I have not
seen the studies myself so cannot confirm them. I was initially shocked as
well - the rate depends on how you define seriously injured. They were
using a pretty high trauma score if I remember rightly.
One post to the 999 list regarding teaching RSI to paramedics in the UK and
skill retention problems mentions this:
> As I have said before the average UK para will see ONE
> major trauma case every 12-15 months (some studies say 24
> months)and to train a junior doctor to anaesthetise safely
> takes at the very, very least 6 months full-time training
> after a succsession of other jobs (A&E etc). So why
> bother training a paramedic when there are doctors who do
> it all day?
> All the doctors on HEMS are registrar grade at
> least.
> ----------------------
> RJ Dawes
> [log in to unmask]
I'll post this to the 999 list to see if anyone there can confirm this
figure, enlarge on it or dispel the myth.
Robbie Coull
email: [log in to unmask] website: http://www.coull.net
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