Operational and clinical team members should work together to develop a bespoke patient centred extrication plan with the primary focus of minimising entrapment time |
Independent of actual or suspected injuries patients should be handled gently. A focus on absolute movement minimisation is not justified |
When clinicians are not available, FRSs should where necessary assess patients, deliver clinical care and make and enact extrication plans (including self-extrication)1 |
Self-extrication or minimally assisted extrication should be the standard ‘first line’ extrication for all patients who do not have contraindications, which are: -An inability to understand or follow instructions, -Injuries or baseline function that prevents standing on at least one leg, (specific injuries include: unstable pelvic fracture, impalement, bilateral leg fracture) |
All patients with evidence of injury should be considered time-dependent and their entrapment time should be minimised |
Incidents where a patient may require disentanglement are complex and associated with a high morbidity and mortality. A senior FRS and clinical response should attend such instances2 |
Clinical care during entrapment: -Can be delivered by FRS or clinical services1 -Should be limited to necessary critical interventions to expedite safe extrication3 -Rescuers should be aware that clinical observations may prolong entrapment time and as such should be kept to the minimum -FRS and clinical personnel should be aware of the physical and observable signs of patient deterioration and if identified should make this known to the responsible clinician |
Immobilisation: -Longboards are an extrication device and should not be used beyond the extrication phase -Kedrick Extrication Devices prolong extrication time and their use should be minimised -Pelvic slings should not be applied to patients until they have been extricated -Cervical collars should only be used following assessment and should be loosened or removed following extrication |
Patient focused extrication: -Build a connection with patients, explain actions, and use their name -Where appropriate, reassure patients as to the safety of their co-occupants and others involved in the incident (including animals) -Provide an ‘extrication buddy’ -Allow communication with family members or other close contacts -Rescue teams should not publish extrication related imagery to social media or other outlets -Minimise the ability of the public to view the accident, take photographs or record videos. Provide education to this effect |
On initial call to Emergency Services -Attempt to clarify entrapment status -Attempt to identify patients who require disentanglement (and dispatch an appropriate priority senior2 response) -A standard multi-agency MVC trauma message should be developed to ensure the correct resources are deployed |
Multi-professional datasets should be developed with patient and public engagement and should include entrapment status, entrapment time, injuries, extrication approach, clinical care |
Agreed nomenclature for categories of patient Not injured, Minor injuries (evidence of energy transfer but no evidence of time-dependent injury), Major injury (currently stable but should be assumed to be time-dependent), Time critical injured (Time critical due to injury; use fastest route of extrication) m Time critical hazard (e.g. secondary to fire or other hazard) |