Alabama Administrative Code › Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH › Chapter 420-2-2 - ALABAMA STATEWIDE TRAUMA SYSTEM › Appendix I - Guidelines For Early Activation Of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
PURPOSE:
Helicopter EMS services (HEMS) offer
				speed of transport and ALS personnel experienced in managing critical patients.
				These guidelines are to assist EMS responders in determining when early
				activation of HEMS would likely be in the critical patient's best interest.
				Early Activation means initiation of a helicopter response prior to arrival of
				the EMS responders to the scene. Early Activation may be based on pre-arrival
				information regarding the incident or a suspicion by EMS that specialty care
				may be needed. Early Activation is initiated at the request of the first
				responding EMS providers or in conjunction with Dispatch and the EMS service.
				It is recognized that pre-arrival information may be misleading and the
				activated HEMS may be cancelled. The HEMS service that can respond to the scene
				in the shortest time should be called. If a HEMS service cannot answer a call
				and a second service is requested, the requesting agency must notify the second
				service that the call has already been refused and why.
Situations in which Early Activation of HEMS may be needed
				includes, but are not limited to:
1. Report of severe collision involving one or more
				vehicles
2. Multiple victim incidents with severe illness or
				injuries
3. Report of person being ejected from a vehicle
4. Pedestrian vs. vehicle with reported injuries
5. MVC with reported death and other injured persons
6. Report of severe burns
7. An unbroken fall of twenty feet or more onto a hard
				surface
8. Penetrating injury to head, neck, torso, or groin
9. Report of injury with paralysis
10. Sickness with new onset focal weakness or paralysis
				(suspected stroke)
11. Severe chest pain thought to be of cardiac etiology
12. Near drowning
13. Report of amputation proximal to wrist or ankle
14. Report of serious injury in a patient whose location would
				be difficult to access by ground ambulance but is more accessible by
				helicopter
15. Severe shortness of breath or airway problems
16. There is no available ground ambulance to respond
17. Report of patient with symptoms of shock
18. Report of patient with history of trauma and altered mental
				status
19. Discretion of Medical Direction or responding EMS
				personnel
HEMS are most appropriately used when their use would
SIGNIFICANTLY
reduce the time required to get the patient to the
				appropriate hospital or when potentially lifesaving prehospital interventions
				may be needed that that cannot be provided by the responding EMS service. The
				Regional Aeromedical Plan must be followed when approved. Quality Improvement
				monitoring is important and is best done in partnership with the responding
				helicopter service.
Authors:
John Campbell, M.D., and Choona
				  Lang
Statutory Authority:
Alabama Legislature, Act
				  299, Regular Session, 2007 Code of Ala. 1975, §
										22-11D-1, et. seq.