News and events from CareFlight. Issue 69 | Autumn 2015 CareFlight there for our most vulnerable and precious T here’s nothing quite like the magic of a newborn baby, or a warm hug from a toddler. Children are so precious. And so fragile. But what if the unthinkable happens? What if, out of the blue, a child has a life-threatening accident, stops breathing or becomes so ill that only swift medical care can save their life? We are pleased and proud that CareFlight is there, ready to provide emergency transport and critical care to sick or injured babies and children – saving precious time and precious lives. We can offer this peace of mind every hour of the day, every day of the year, thanks only to your generous support. CareFlight has a long history in the emergency transportation and care of sick and injured babies and children. In fact, the very first flight we ever made, back in 1986, was to transport two injured children to hospital after a car crash. This tradition continues today with our work in three vital areas: specialised transport for babies and young children, emergency care at accident scenes and medical treatment and advice for remote communities. Our teams are trained in the latest life-saving techniques. They work with the very best equipment designed especially to treat and transport children of all ages, from premature babies to injured teenagers. Your kind support makes this possible. One example was that of little Aiden who we transported just over 18 months ago as a critically ill newborn. Aiden was born prematurely in a country town and desperately needed emergency medical care when he experienced respiratory distress caused by bronchiolitis. It was touch and go as his anxious parents watched him struggle to breathe while they waited for the helicopter to transport him to a specialist children’s hospital. Aiden’s mum, Cat, wrote us this heartfelt message: “That flight is not one that I will forget anytime soon or one that I ever want to repeat; it has really had a lasting impact in the most momentous way possible. “We are thankful for CareFlight every day. Without a doubt, we would have lost our baby boy and his siblings would have lost their baby brother if it weren’t for your service.” With your help, we can fly to a woman having a difficult birth in an isolated part of Australia, bring hospitallevel care to a toddler who’s suffered a nasty fall, or resuscitate a young child nearly drowned in a pool. 1 Missions Eight-year-old boy with suspected snake bite T he CareFlight rapid response trauma team were called to Peats Ridge on the Central Coast where an eight-year-old boy suffered a suspected snake bite. The boy from nearby Tumbi Umbi was visiting his aunt when he came back to the house with puncture wounds on his left foot after playing in long grass. His aunt tended to the wound while emergency services rushed to the scene. The type of snake was not immediately identified. The CareFlight helicopter landed on the property one minute before a NSW Ambulance crew arrived from the Central Coast. The boy was alert, conscious and in a stable condition when flown with his aunt to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Melbourne couple airlifted after vehicle rollover in Litchfield A Melbourne couple were airlifted to Royal Darwin Hospital after their rental vehicle left the road and rolled in Litchfield National Park. The man and woman, aged in their 30s, were driving on the Litchfield Park Road when the accident took place about 300 metres east of the Buley’s Rockhole turnoff and about 80 kilometres by air south of Darwin. With a medical team from the Batchelor clinic and a St John 2 Ambulance crew also on their way, the CareFlight TIO rescue helicopter took off for the scene at about 4.50pm local time, landing about 20 minutes later. CareFlight’s doctor and nurse treated the woman for a shoulder injury and some other minor injuries and assessed the man for a suspected head injury. A group of holidaying nurses from Melbourne were also on hand to help. Two rescued after boat sinks in crocodile infested waters Two men were rescued by CareFlight after they dodged crocodiles in a night swim to shore when their fishing boat sank 120 kilometres north-east of Darwin. The two Darwin locals set out from Shady Camp, then anchored for the night off Finke Bay between the Wild Man and West Alligator Rivers. The two experienced fishos, aged in their 30s, told the CareFlight crew that their six metre boat was “flipped over” by increasing winds at about 8.00pm, as they were sleeping. The men managed to grab their distress beacon before climbing onto the hull of their boat as the tide carried them closer to shore in the dark. They then swam the last two kilometres to shore. On reaching the shore they activated an unregistered 406MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which sent a signal via satellite to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) headquarters in Canberra. Just before 4.00am AMSA called out Darwin’s CareFlight TIO rescue helicopter and a search aircraft to find the source of the distress beacon. The task was made more challenging because the beacon was unregistered which meant the search crews had no information about what they were looking for. The two men were winched up to the CareFlight helicopter and treated by the flight nurse for exposure on the return flight to Darwin Airport. The incident is a reminder to all boating enthusiasts and, indeed, anyone venturing into remote parts of Australia, of the importance of firstly taking an EPIRB and secondly ensuring it is registered. Missions T CareFlight stops peak hour traffic he CareFlight rapid response trauma team stopped peak hour traffic on one of Sydney’s busiest freeways when called to a four-car accident in Granville in Sydney’s west. One car suffered extensive damage when it crashed into a barrier. Its 35-year-old male driver suffered suspected head injuries. CareFlight’s doctor and paramedic treated the unconscious male and initiated pre-hospital treatment including administering anaesthetic and intubation. The injured man was then transported by road ambulance to Westmead Hospital, accompanied by CareFlight’s medical crew. SES volunteer checked for spinal injury after rafting training A 30-year-old woman was airlifted to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital to be assessed for possible spinal injuries after a training mishap with the State Emergency Service. The CareFlight rapid response trauma team were called to Penrith White Water Rafting Park in the former Olympic complex in Castlereagh, landing within 13 minutes of receiving the initial call. The woman was with a group of SES volunteers from Dubbo in western NSW who were undergoing a training exercise in fast-flowing floodwater scenarios. They were attempting to right a capsized rubber raft when it flipped suddenly and struck her heavily on the head. The CareFlight medical team joined NSW Ambulance paramedics in providing initial treatment and stabilising the woman before flying her to Royal North Shore’s specialist spinal unit where tests revealed she had escaped serious long-term injury. NSW Police and NSW Fire and Rescue from Penrith also responded to the incident. Pre-hospital trauma training Medics and rescue operators working in a pre-hospital setting are constantly faced with unexpected challenges which include extreme weather conditions, unfamiliar geographical environments and an ever changing inter-disciplinary team. It is for this reason that CareFlight regularly conducts our internationally recognised Pre-Hospital Trauma Course. This two and a half day course allows participants to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that facilitate success within operational circumstances. Participants include doctors, nurses, emergency response officers and firefighters from across Australia. CareFlight’s education program is dedicated to improving outcomes for patients. 3 National Tasmania’s first responders benefit from CareFlight trauma training C areFlight travelled to Tasmania in late 2014 to deliver MediSim – a unique national trauma training program. MediSim provides world-class trauma training delivered by doctors, nurses and paramedics. The program has been running nationally for four years. The Tasmanian MediSim tour delivered: • training to 67 first responders free of charge • workshops in Port Sorell, Cradle Mountain, Hobart and Freycinet National Park • training conducted by experts including Specialist Doctor Greg Button, Clinical Nurse Consultant Mel Brown and Intensive Care Paramedic Kevin Gardiner • the program to volunteers from the SES, Tasmania Fire and St John Ambulance as well as national parks rangers As a result of CareFlight’s extensive training program, Tasmania’s emergency services personnel now have more knowledge, skills and confidence in dealing with trauma patients. The practical component of the MediSim workshop uses high quality mannequins and a unique Car Crash Rescue Simulator, capable of simulating a realistic motor vehicle accident, to give participants an opportunity to practise in a safe and controlled environment. The Tasmanian workshops were delivered at no cost to participants thanks to the assistance of Origin Energy, Collier Charitable Fund, Spirit of Tasmania, Peppers Resorts and the generosity of CareFlight supporters. Nationally, MediSim has conducted 105 workshops and trained over 1,500 emergency service volunteers since it was launched by CareFlight in 2011. 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