Augusta, Maine - EMTs followed protocol in Sugarloaf accident

[Arctickat]

AUGUSTA — The state board that oversees the licensing of paramedics and emergency medical technicians has voted to dismiss a complaint filed by the widow of a Canadian man who died after a ski accident at Sugarloaf Mountain in January.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/franklin/2012/04/04/report-emts-followed-protocol-sugarloaf-accident-r/1177183

[DwayneEMTP]

Thanks so much for posting that...

What a miserable situation all around...I'm guessing that that patient was a bitch to try and manage with one provider, though I'm guessing that his ultimate outcome was likely clear before they headed to the hospital.

It sounds like an actual investigation occurred with criticizm, likely deserved, (As it's hard to imagine coming out of that call having created nothing that someone could criticize.) for all concerned. Pretty cool.

[island emt]

As I stated in the earlier thread about this call, Northstar is a highly regarded operation and we were only getting one side of the story from the widow.

Because of all the press involved , you can be sure that the investigation was extremely thorough and no stone unturned .

In no case would this Pt have survived an hour plus trip down the mountain to the nearest hospital, much less the trip to CMMC where the nearest trauma surgeons are located.

Unfortunately this was a tragic case and an accident where the skier ran into a tree at speed and suffered life threatening injuries.

This case is a good reminder to all of us to remember to DOCUMENT every thing we do.

disclaimer: I do know some of the parties involved from EMS conferences and classes, but had no knowledge of the call other than what was available in the press.

[zmedic]

There are two things the jump out at me from the report.

1: I've never heard of starting transport with a living patient,having them die enroute, and returning to the scene of the accident and leaving the patient there. Everywhere i've worked either the patient is pronounced on scene or you complete the transport to the hospital.

2: It strikes me as a little sketchy having someone not from the responding ambulance department drive the ambulance. Is that person covered by insurance? Do they have EVOC? It would be very messy if there was an accident on the way to the hospital and some random ski patroller or cop was driving the ambulance.

These two issues may have been okay under state rules and ambulance company rules. But they seem strange to me.

[ERDoc]

There was a previous discussion on this after it happened and Maine protocols allow the crew to return the body to the scene or other appropriate facility if there is a long transport. I thought the same thing about the ski patrol driving the ambulance, but according tot he final report, this is not unusual and they get an orientation every year before the season starts.

[island emt]

You need to remember that this is a very remote area, where the two crew members stationed on the truck down in the valley at Carrabassett, are the only crew available unless they move a second truck up from the next station.. The crew heard the call on the mountain and had started towards the ski area before being dispatched to it.

That triggered the next truck starting the trip towards the valley for coverage from 45 minutes away. This was why they have the ski patrol take a familiarization course in driving.

In one news report it was questioned why they didn't fly the pt out? High winds and whiteout conditions had grounded rotary wing transport statewide. And if you haven't looked at a map recently , Maine is a very large state.

Our protocols would prefer we not transport bodies to the emergency room and the hospitals don't really want them either. Thus we have a situation where continuing down the mountain in a whiteout snowstorm with this gentleman's body would have increased risk to crew and victim's safety, so since they were still on the mountain and in a parking lot on the access road when the pt died , they returned .

For all you flatlanders , this is not a fun drive in nasty road conditions, winding ,twisty and in places can be spinchter tightening in nice weather with long drops off the sides..

[ERDoc]

The wife also made it sound like they dropped her off in the middle of nowhere half way through the transport, not along the access road to the mountain with other traffic.

[island emt]

As I said in the earlier thread : All the Press information was coming from a distraught widow from Nova Scotia and reported in the NS press with info from her only.

Of course she was upset and looking for someone to blame for her husbands death, but the facts are different from what was initially reported in the press.

Maybe they can convict the tree for growing in the forest! When you purchase a lift ticket there is a waiver saying you accept the risks inherent in sliding down a snow covered mountain with boards attached to your feet.

[Chief1C]

Only once have I returned to the scene with a patient that was alive before we left. Usually, even if we terminate efforts, we're required to continue to the ER. Had a person from an MVA once that was doomed from the start. That call messed with my mind, and left me unable to steady my hands to write for several hours. Patient was alert, carried to the chopper, they started up the rotors and sat there for about ten minutes... then shut down. A physician on board determined there was nothing that could be done prehospital after the patient arrested, called a TOD and we returned to the scene. But the patient remained in the ambo awaiting the coroner.

And we just transported to the funeral home; as there is no ME van, etc; and 90% of the time the FH's don't come and pick up a body. Unless it's not something you'd want to put in an ambulance. Like odor issues, which can't be contained to a body bag.

[island emt]

I haven't transported a deceased body in many years. Not since I stopped working for a funeral home.

We do transport a fresh code that we are working and sometimes they do survive, usually not. Or a cold water hypothermic drowning will be transported .

But to transport a traumatic arrest or already cold corpse: no

In this case once it was determined to be a traumatic arrest and to transport to the hospital would place all involved in real risk then turning around in the parking lot and going back to the ski patrol room made perfect sense. There the case was turned over to the proper authorities. Law enforcement and the ME's office.

This was following our State protocols.