Advanced pre-hospital treatment
Having a team of doctors and critical care practitioners (CCPs) means Wales Air Ambulance can provide even more treatments on helicopter and rapid response vehicle missions.
The specially selected doctors have advanced expertise in emergency medicine, paediatrics, anaesthesia, and intensive care. With these extra skills, our crews carry pioneering equipment, including blood products.
All of the kit on board is interchangeable and can be transferred from the helicopter to the rapid response vehicle, and enables our crew’s to deliver pre-hospital treatment at the scene of an incident.
Kit we carry
Tempus Pro Monitor
This allows the medics to measure the activity of the heart, blood pressure, oxygen levels and breathing to guide treatment. The device is very strong so can withstand being in outdoor environments.
Ultrasound Scanner
Medics are equipped with ultrasound scanners, which can identify internal bleeding and indicate the source of blood loss. The scanner also helps to identify trauma to organs, such as punctured lungs.
Oxygen cylinders
Each cylinder holds over 2000 litres of oxygen, enabling us to safely manage patients with oxygen needs over long distances.
Primary 'Red' Bag
The primary bag holds our immediate care kit, including airway equipment and catastrophic haemorrhage.
Secondary 'Blue' Bag
The secondary bag holds our critical care equipment which contains equipment enabling our crew to deliver advanced treatments on scene. This bag tends to be used more often because critical care we are tasked to those suffering a life and limb-threatening injuries or illness. The bag contains a variety of extensive equipment that can give our patients the best chance of a positive outcome.
LUCAS
The LUCAS device is a mechanical chest compression system used by clinicians all over the world to improve the quality of CPR given to a patient in cardiac arrest and aiming to achieve a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Use of a LUCAS machine also gives the clinicians at the scene time to make important decisions in terms of critical care interventions and next steps.
By using the LUCAS device, it frees up a member of the team to perform other procedures and also can help to improve patient outcomes by removing fatigue of those carrying our manual CPR. The machine provides consistent, high quality chest compressions, even when they are being transported to hospital.
Blood products
The Wales Air Ambulance became one of the first air ambulance teams in Europe to have three types of blood products at the scene of an emergency.
The Charity’s helicopters and rapid response vehicles now carry red blood cells, lyoplas and fibrinogen concentrate. These help to stop bleeding and replenish lost blood.
Red blood cells: A fundamental part of the human circulatory system, red blood cells transport oxygen to bodily organs. Wales Air Ambulance carries O negative blood, which is compatible with all other blood groups.
Lyoplas: A freeze-dried derivative of plasma, a liquid component that makes up approximately 50 per cent of blood. When mixed with water, it can be used to help aid blood transfusions at the scene of an emergency.
Fibrinogen concentrate: A concentrated dose of fibrinogen, which helps aid the blood clotting process. As with Lyoplas and the red blood cells, the Fibrinogen concentrate is extracted from blood donated by members of the public. The blood is supplied by the Welsh Blood Service.
EPOC Blood Gas Monitor
This allows the crews to carry out blood analysis – this would otherwise only be available in hospitals.
By testing blood while working in the field, medics can carry highlight or rule out a number of issues in a short period of time.
Tempus LS Defibrillator
A defibrillator is a device that gives a jolt of energy to the heart. It helps get the heart beating again when someone is in cardiac arrest.
The Tempus allows medics to shock a heart into a normal rhythm if it isn’t beating properly and can act as a temporary pacemaker.
Ventilator
The advanced technology ventilators is a form of life support used by the critical care teams they are designed to work on people of all ages, from infants through to elderly patients. It means the crew can stabilise the patient before leaving the scene by taking over their breathing.
Just some of the equipment on our medic’s checklist:
Questions
SpO2 + ECG:
Syringes:
Arterial Line:
Trauma Extras:
Canthotomy Pack:
Difficult Airway:
Drugs
Surgical Airway:
Trauma Extras:
Additional items:
Answers
- BM Test Sticks, Adult BP Cuff – XL, Adult BP Cuff, UNISTIX Lancets, 12 Lead ECG Cable, ECG Electrodes, Gauze, Neonatal ECG Electrodes, Paed Wrap around SpO2 probe, Infant BP Cuff, SpO2 Ear Probe, Child BP Cuff,
- Glucometer – Freestyle
- Additive labels, Syringe 30ml, Syringe Driver Lines
- Blood bottle, Cannula – 18G, IV Mixing Spike, Cannula – 20G, Syringe – 2ml, Cannula – 22G, Cannula – 24G, Conforming Bandage 5cm, Tourniquet, Vacuette, Tegaderm, Cannula – 14G, Prefilled saline 10ml, Combi-Lock Red Bung Stopper, Cannula 16G, Alcowipe
- Combi-Lock Red Bung Stopper, Saline, Mucosal Atomisation Device, Water, Syringe 10ml, Additive labels, 23G
- Needle Blue, Syringe 2ml, Red Blunt Needles, Syringe 1ml
- Large Tegaderm Dressings, Sterile gloves
- Invasive Pressure Monitoring Set, Arterial Catheter 3fr, Arterial Catheter – 4fr
- Propofol 1%, Chloraprep 3ml, Arterial Flow-switch Cannula, Curved Suture Needle
- Hypertonic saline 5%, Curved Suture Needle, TPAK / Pneumofix, Trauma Line, Scalpel 15, Scalpel 15, Large
- Tegaderm Dressings, Syringe – 30ml
- Grip Seal Bag, Tenotomy Scissors, Toothed Forceps
- SAM Pelvic Binder, Prometheus Pelvic Binder, Triangular bandage
- i-Gel-Size 2.5, i-Gel – Size 3, i-Gel-Size 1, i-Gel – Size 4, i-Gel-Size 1.5, i-Gel – Size 5, i-Gel – Size 2
- McGrath Blade – Mac 4, OPA – Size 1, Adult EtCO2, NPA – Size 4, OPA – Size 000, NPA – Size 5, OPA – Size 00, A
- Optilube Sachets, OPA – Size 0
Our crew carry a selection of different drugs and medicines.
- Saline PFS, Needle Cric Kit -18G, Needle Cric Kit 14G, Rapid 02 Surgical Airway (Upper Section):
- Sterile Gauze Swabs, Scalpel 15, Ribbon Tube Tie, Mosquito Forceps, ET Tube 6.5mm
- Rapid Rhino, Bite Block, Sterile H20
- Hypertonic saline 5%, Curved Suture Needle, TPAK / Pneumofix, Trauma Line, Scalpel 15, Scalpel 15, Large
- Tegaderm Dressings, Syringe – 30ml
- Arterial Stickers, Tempus Invasive Monitoring Cable
- Massimo SpO2 Cables, 3 Lead ECG Cable, Temp Cable, NIBP Cable + Disposable BP Cuff, Tempus Pro Monitor
- Sharps Box, Clinical waste bag Outside Bottom Pocket
- Securing Straps
- Upper Leg Strap, Ankle Hitch, Lower Leg Strap, Boot Hitch, Hip / Groin Strap, Adjustable Poles
- Kendrick Traction Device
- IV Fluids
- Paediatric masks
- Nebuliser masks
- Syringes and saline
- Airway bag
- Surgical & Major Haemorrhage kits
- Kendrick Traction Device
- Grip Seal Bag, Tenotomy Scissors, Toothed Forceps
- SAM Pelvic Binder, Prometheus Pelvic Binder, Triangular bandage
Questions&Answers
SpO2 + ECG:
- BM Test Sticks, Adult BP Cuff – XL, Adult BP Cuff, UNISTIX Lancets, 12 Lead ECG Cable, ECG Electrodes, Gauze, Neonatal ECG Electrodes, Paed Wrap around SpO2 probe, Infant BP Cuff, SpO2 Ear Probe, Child BP Cuff,
- Glucometer – Freestyle
Syringes:
- Additive labels, Syringe 30ml, Syringe Driver Lines
- Blood bottle, Cannula – 18G, IV Mixing Spike, Cannula – 20G, Syringe – 2ml, Cannula – 22G, Cannula – 24G, Conforming Bandage 5cm, Tourniquet, Vacuette, Tegaderm, Cannula – 14G, Prefilled saline 10ml, Combi-Lock Red Bung Stopper, Cannula 16G, Alcowipe
- Combi-Lock Red Bung Stopper, Saline, Mucosal Atomisation Device, Water, Syringe 10ml, Additive labels, 23G
- Needle Blue, Syringe 2ml, Red Blunt Needles, Syringe 1ml
Arterial Line:
- Large Tegaderm Dressings, Sterile gloves
- Invasive Pressure Monitoring Set, Arterial Catheter 3fr, Arterial Catheter – 4fr
- Propofol 1%, Chloraprep 3ml, Arterial Flow-switch Cannula, Curved Suture Needle
Trauma Extras:
- Hypertonic saline 5%, Curved Suture Needle, TPAK / Pneumofix, Trauma Line, Scalpel 15, Scalpel 15, Large
- Tegaderm Dressings, Syringe – 30ml
Canthotomy Pack:
- Grip Seal Bag, Tenotomy Scissors, Toothed Forceps
- SAM Pelvic Binder, Prometheus Pelvic Binder, Triangular bandage
Difficult Airway:
- i-Gel-Size 2.5, i-Gel – Size 3, i-Gel-Size 1, i-Gel – Size 4, i-Gel-Size 1.5, i-Gel – Size 5, i-Gel – Size 2
- McGrath Blade – Mac 4, OPA – Size 1, Adult EtCO2, NPA – Size 4, OPA – Size 000, NPA – Size 5, OPA – Size 00, A
- Optilube Sachets, OPA – Size 0
Drugs
Our crew carry a selection of different drugs and medicines.
Surgical Airway:
- Saline PFS, Needle Cric Kit -18G, Needle Cric Kit 14G, Rapid 02 Surgical Airway (Upper Section):
- Sterile Gauze Swabs, Scalpel 15, Ribbon Tube Tie, Mosquito Forceps, ET Tube 6.5mm
- Rapid Rhino, Bite Block, Sterile H20
Trauma Extras:
- Hypertonic saline 5%, Curved Suture Needle, TPAK / Pneumofix, Trauma Line, Scalpel 15, Scalpel 15, Large
- Tegaderm Dressings, Syringe – 30ml
Additional items:
- Arterial Stickers, Tempus Invasive Monitoring Cable
- Massimo SpO2 Cables, 3 Lead ECG Cable, Temp Cable, NIBP Cable + Disposable BP Cuff, Tempus Pro Monitor
- Sharps Box, Clinical waste bag Outside Bottom Pocket
- Securing Straps
- Upper Leg Strap, Ankle Hitch, Lower Leg Strap, Boot Hitch, Hip / Groin Strap, Adjustable Poles
- Kendrick Traction Device
- IV Fluids
- Paediatric masks
- Nebuliser masks
- Syringes and saline
- Airway bag
- Surgical & Major Haemorrhage kits
- Kendrick Traction Device
- Grip Seal Bag, Tenotomy Scissors, Toothed Forceps
- SAM Pelvic Binder, Prometheus Pelvic Binder, Triangular bandage
Technology onboard
Apple iPad and iPhone
The team carry mobile devices which gives them access to a whole host of different platforms, from looking up a patient’s medical history using the Welsh Clinical Portal to calculating the drug doses required for children and babies.
They also record any treatment given to patients using their electronic patient record.
GoodSAM
GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medics) is a system which gives medics the ability to see the scene through a bystander’s camera phone, simply by sending them a text message.
This means our clinicians can get a better understanding of an incident without having to rely on sometimes sketchy 999 call information. It might mean spotting troubling symptoms that have been missed by the member of the public, or it could be that the patient is not as seriously injured as initially reported.
The system is regularly used by the team and means they are able to make more informed decisions before deploying the aircraft/RRV to an incident.