Background Pre hospital emergency anaesthesia (PHEA) is a complex procedure with significant risks. First-pass intubation success (FPS) is recommended as a quality indicator in pre hospital advanced airway management. Previous data demonstrating significantly lower FPS by non-physicians does not distinguish between non-physicians operating in isolation or within physician teams. In several UK HEMS, the role of the intubating provider is interchangeable between the physician and critical care paramedic—termed the Inter-Changeable Operator Model (ICOM). The objectives of this study were to compare first-pass intubation success rate between physicians and critical care paramedics (CCP) in a large regional, multi-organisational dataset of trauma PHEA patients, and to report the application of the ICOM. Methods A retrospective observational study of consecutive trauma patients ≥ 16 years old who underwent PHEA at two different ICOM Helicopter Emergency Medical Services in the East of England, 2015–2020. Data are presented as number (percentage) and median [inter-quartile range]. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare proportions, reported as odds ratio (OR (95% confidence interval, 95% CI)), p value. The study design complied with the STROBE (Strengthening The Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology) reporting guidelines. Results In the study period, 13,654 patients were attended. 674 (4.9%) trauma patients ≥ 16 years old who underwent PHEA were included in the final analysis: the median age was 44 [28–63] years old, and 502 (74.5%) were male. There was no significant difference in the FPS rate between physicians and CCPs—90.2% and 87.4% respectively, OR 1.3 (95% CI 0.7–2.5), p = 0.38. The cumulative first, second, third, and fourth-pass intubation success rates were 89.6%, 98.7%, 99.7%, and 100%. Patients who had a physician-operated initial intubation attempt weighed more and had a higher heart rate, compared to those who had a CCP-operated initial attempt. Conclusion In an ICOM setting, we demonstrated 100% intubation success in adult trauma patients undergoing PHEA. There was no significant difference in first-pass intubation success between physicians and CCPs.

Background Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) are a limited and expensive resource, and should be intelligently tasked. HEMS dispatch was identified as a key research priority in 2011, with a call to identify a ‘general set of criteria with the highest discriminating potential’. However, there have been no published data analyses in the past decade that specifically address this priority, and this priority has been reaffirmed in 2023. The objective of this study was to define the dispatch criteria available at the time of the initial emergency call with the greatest HEMS utility using a large, regional, multi-organizational dataset in the UK. Methods This retrospective observational study utilized dispatch data from a regional emergency medical service (EMS) and three HEMS organisations in the East of England, 2016–2019. In a logistic regression model, Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS) codes with ≥ 50 HEMS dispatches in the study period were compared with the remainder to identify codes with high-levels of HEMS patient contact and HEMS-level intervention/drug/diagnostic (HLIDD). The primary outcome was to identify AMPDS codes with a > 10% HEMS dispatch rate of all EMS taskings that would result in 10–20 high-utility HEMS dispatches per 24-h period in the East of England. Data were analysed in R, and are reported as number (percentage); significance was p < 0.05. Results There were n = 25,491 HEMS dispatches (6400 per year), of which n = 23,030 (90.3%) had an associated AMPDS code. n = 13,778 (59.8%) of HEMS dispatches resulted in patient contact, and n = 8437 (36.6%) had an HLIDD. 43 AMPDS codes had significantly greater rates of patient contact and/or HLIDD compared to the reference group. In an exploratory analysis, a cut-off of ≥ 70% patient contact rate and/or ≥ 70% HLIDD (with a > 10% HEMS dispatch of all EMS taskings) resulted in 17 taskings per 24-h period. This definition derived nine AMPDS codes with high HEMS utility. Conclusion We have identified nine ‘golden’ AMPDS codes, available at the time of initial emergency call, that are associated with high-levels of whole-system and HEMS utility in the East of England. We propose that UK EMS should consider immediate HEMS dispatch to these codes.

Aims, Objectives and BackgroundPre-Hospital emergency anaesthesia (PHEA) is a complex procedure with significant risks. First-pass intubation success (FPS) is recommended as a quality indicator in pre-hospital advanced airway management. Previous data demonstrating significantly lower FPS by non-physicians does not distinguish between non-physicians operating in isolation or within physician teams. In several UK HEMS, the role of the intubating provider is interchangeable between the physician and critical care paramedic – termed the Inter-Changeable Operator Model (ICOM). The objectives of this study were to compare first-pass intubation success rate between physicians and critical care paramedics (CCP) in a large regional, multi-organisational dataset of trauma PHEA patients, and to report the application of the ICOM.Method and DesignA retrospective observational study of consecutive trauma patients ≥16 years old who underwent PHEA at two different ICOM Helicopter Emergency Medical Services in the East of England, 2015–2020. Data are presented as number (percentage) and median [inter-quartile range]. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare proportions, reported as odds ratio (OR (95% confidence interval, 95%CI)), p-value.Results and ConclusionIn the study period, 13,654 patients were attended. 674 (4.9%) trauma patients ≥16 years old who underwent PHEA were included in the final analysis: the median age was 44 [28–63] years old, and 502 (74.5%) were male. There was no significant difference in the FPS rate between physicians and CCPs – 90.2% and 87.4% respectively, OR 1.3 (95%CI 0.7–2.5), p=0.38. The cumulative first, second, third, and fourth-pass intubation success rates were 89.6%, 98.7%, 99.7%, and 100%. Patients who had a physician-operated initial intubation attempt weighed more and had a higher heart rate, compared to those who had a CCP-operated initial attempt.In an ICOM setting, we demonstrated 100% intubation success in adult trauma patients undergoing PHEA. There was no significant difference in first-pass intubation success between physicians and CCPs.

Aims, Objectives and BackgroundPrehospital emergency anaesthesia (PHEA) is a safe and necessary procedure for the most seriously injured trauma patients. The avoidance of secondary insults such as hypoxia and hypotension are key to reduce mortality. Despite this, a proportion of patients experience post-intubation hypotension (PIH), for which the determinants remain unclear. This multi-centre study aims to compare the differential determinants of PIH in trauma patients undergoing PHEA.Method and DesignIn this retrospective observational study, across three regional Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), data were obtained from the electronic medical records for a consecutive sample of adult trauma patients who underwent PHEA, 2015–2020 inclusive.Hypotension was defined as new systolic blood pressure (SBP) <90mmHg or >10% drop if SBP<90mmHg pre-PHEA, within 10 minutes of PHEA. A purposeful selection logistic regression model was used. Each variable was first tested in turn to explore the unadjusted association with the outcome. Significant variables were then included in the multivariable analysis. Variables were successively eliminated until only statistically significant variables remained. The ARU Research Ethics Panel granted ethical approval (AH-SREP-20–047).Results and ConclusionDuring the study period, 6184 patients were identified. After predefined exclusions, 998 patients were included in the final analysis. 218 (21.8%) patients recorded one or more episodes of PIH, with a peak prevalence at 8 minutes. The variables significantly associated with PIH were: age >55 years, pre-PHEA tachycardia (>100/minute), fluid administration prior to HEMS arrival, and fentanyl omission at induction, table 1.The pseudo-R2 for the final model suggests there is significant variation in the outcome not explained by the captured variables alone. Clinician gestalt appears to successfully identify patients most at-risk of PIH, demonstrated by the omission of fentanyl for this group.Abstract 1491 Table 1Multivariate analysis of variables associated with post-induction hypotension within 10 minutes of prehospital emergency anaesthesiaIn addition to drug-dose modification, pre-PHEA volume administration, cautious haemodynamic observation, and early vasopressor intervention may be warranted to reduce avoidable harm in trauma patients undergoing PHEA.

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