Long Transport Times?

[emt-b_wa]

we are a big district one of the areas is out in bfe at least 35 min response to the furthest area and the up to an hour and a half transport major traumas we would like to cal in airlift be its next to impossible due to our protocols

[tridget80]

transport times here range from 5 minutes if you go to the local hospital in the county, to 20-1 hr if you go to another.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I've worked both types of services.

I truly enjoyed the rural ems experience because you are it out there.

Transport times vary from in the small town I was working at would be 5 minutes to the hospital all the way up to 1 hour if we went all the way to the southwest county line area.

Anything significantly bad would be flown out eg trauma or major cardiac illness.

I've also worked urban ems where total call time might be 20 mins total.

And yes you can get an assessment and treat the patient in that time and provide excellent care even though some say it's Wam bam medicine.

[canuckEMT]

In Town call- 5 min max

Rural call- 10 to 25 min approx.

Transfer to trauma centre 1 hour to 1.25 hours depending on traffic in the city and which member is driving.

On a separate note we should have a poll on starting IV's on rural roads and the tricks that are developed in that scenario.......LMAO

" Hey BOB, gimme about 30 seconds at the next 4 way stop.! I got a 14 guage ready here!"......

[EMTChris]

we are blessed where I volunteer....anywhere from 5 - 25 minutes tops.

[Maysville_Medic]

In my district, we have 15 min to small er, 45 min to trauma center. We also do a lot of long distance transports for neighboring districts as we are the only with multiple trucks. I have driven pts to hospitals that are 6 - 7 hours away at 75-80 mph.

[Richard B the EMT]

I think I've mentioned there's no place in NYC more than 15 minutes from a regular ER. I'll temper that with saying, from MY service district, it's 25-35 minutes to the nearest Trauma Center, and 35 to an hour to the Burn Center. Figure about an hour to the "Replant" Center at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital.

Like the guys and gals in real estate say, "location, Location, LOCATION."

[strippel]

Yesterday, my partner and I did a shift at the rural station, instead of down town. We are both used to calls that take about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Yesterday, got dispatched out of breakfast for a CVA. The local BLS failed to respond. 15 minutes later, we arrived. Husband wanted to know where the home town crew was, not happy when we told him we were from the city, and that his local ambulance decided not to show up. He then made a comment about not putting his wife "through all of this". Luckily, his daughter and a visiting nurse were there, and calmer minds prevailed.

Did a brief assessment, got her on the litter, 02 and monitor. Got in the truck and headed for the city. Traffic was very heavy, so we used RLS (we don't do that in the city). About 3 minutes into our 35 minute ride, my partner looks up front and states "what do I do now?" He had finished his assessment, did an IV, checked sugar, etc. Spent the next 30 minutes attempting to talk with the patient (unable), and checking BPs.

[sinjunsihde]

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Yes, I certainly understand...Anyone that has long transport times will certainly want to vent just a little here. My particular county covers 4,000 sqm. And depending on where you are in the county, it could be up to 4 hour transport by ground. Average being 30-40 minutes, and just down right frustrating. However, I will say that my provider encourages flights for some patients that are more than 20 minutes away from a hospital. In the my region, we can call a helicopter/fixed-wing, even for not-so-critical patients. Most California based insurance companies will "COVER" a flight under certain circumstances....like a physicians request, a trauma, and in the event that the patient lives more than 20 minutes from a level 2 hospital.

Some hospital personnel still have old school thinking; that TRAUMA is the only time to use an air service. However times are-a-changin'...and frankly its just better patient care. I have transported lots of patients that have been in extreme pain IE:hip fractures and the like. They deserved more than to spend 2 hours winding down mountain roads to the next highest level of care. They may be stable, but this can be a miserable, miserable ride for Paramedic, patient and the EMT who is driving at the medics request almost backwards in an attempt to ease the painful sway of the ambulance. Why would you put patients thru this?

Some of this area is so rural...there are some calls that the ground unit never makes it to...just the helicopter.

I realize this may not be a viable option for all providers, as the all knowing medical director has the final say. This just happens to be our policy, and again, its just better patient care.

[flight-lp]

There is nothing wrong with a helicopter being first in on a call. Again, it is what is best for the patient......