Pre-hospital trauma care: systems and delivery

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. Key points Victims of trauma often spend a significant periodof time in the pre-hospital phase. There is wide variationin the practice of pre-hospital care internationally. The term‘paramedic’ covers a wide range of skills and abilities. Incountries other than the UK, physician-led pre-hospital careis well established. Where pre-hospital anaesthesia is performed,in-hospital standards should apply.   When the literature on pre-hospital trauma care is examined,it becomes apparent that a significant period of time is oftenspent between the time of accident and arrival in the emergencydepartment. Although the ‘Golden Hour’ is an arbitraryconcept, it is often applied to trauma care and emphasizes theimportance of life-saving interventions soon after injury. Inthe UK and elsewhere, the majority of the first hour has passedbefore the hospital-based physician has contact with the patient.Time at the scene can be much longer if the patient is . . . [Full Text of this Article]