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Table 6 Medical interventions before and after human external cargo (HEC) extrication

From: Challenges of helicopter mountain rescue missions by human external cargo: need for physicians onsite and comprehensive training

Medical intervention

before HEC, n (%)

after HEC, n (%)

i.v. line

573 (68)

4 (1)

Analgesia (low dose)a

430 (51)

47 (6)

Analgesia (high dose)

142 (17)

20 (2)

Drugs (except analgesia and vasoactive drugs)

101 (12)

27 (1)

Volume resuscitation ≥1000 ml

39 (5)

3 (0.4)

Endotracheal intubation/RSI (excluding CPR patients)

29 (3)

14 (2)

CPR

14 (2)

2 (0.2)

Vasoactive drugsb (excluding CPR patients)

19 (2)

6 (1)

Ventilation (bag-mask ventilation) (excluding CPR patients and patients requiring RSI)

20 (2)

5 (1)

Joint reduction (with signs of neurological/vascular impairment)

12 (1)

0

Chest tube

3 (0.4)

0

  1. aLow-dose analgesia is defined as fentanyl < 0.2 mg or ketamine < 50 mg
  2. bAdrenaline, noradrenaline, ephedrine, phenylephrine
  3. CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation, HEC human external cargo extraction, RSI rapid sequence induction