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Helicopter emergency medical services response to equestrian accidents.
Abstract: Horse riding is a common leisure activity associated with a significant rate of injury. Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) may be called to equestrian accidents. Accurate HEMS tasking is important to ensure appropriate use of this valuable medical resource. We sought to review HEMS response to equestrian accidents and identify factors associated with the need for HEMS intervention or transport of the patient to a major trauma centre. Methods: Retrospective case review of all missions flown by Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust over a 1-year period (1 July 2011 to 1 July 2012). All missions were screened for accidents involving a horse. Call details, patient demographics, suspected injuries, clinical interventions and patient disposition were all analysed. Results: In the 12-month data collection period there were 47 equestrian accidents, representing ∼3% of the total annual missions. Of the 42 cases HEMS attended, one patient was pronounced life extinct at the scene. In 15 (36%) cases the patient was airlifted to hospital. In four (10%) cases, the patient underwent prehospital anaesthesia. There were no specific predictors of HEMS intervention. Admission to a major trauma centre was associated with the rider not wearing a helmet, a fall onto their head or the horse falling onto the rider. Conclusions: Equestrian accidents represent a significant proportion of HEMS missions. The majority of patients injured in equestrian accidents do not require HEMS intervention, however, a small proportion have life-threatening injuries, requiring immediate critical intervention. Further research is warranted, particularly regarding HEMS dispatch, to further improve accuracy of tasking to equestrian accidents.
Publication Date: 2014-01-05 PubMed ID: 24384618DOI: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000105Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article investigates how equestrian accidents are handled by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The study analyzes the occurrence and management of these accidents over a given period to understand factors which determine the involvement of HEMS, and reveals that while a majority of victims do not necessarily need HEMS intervention, a significant portion still requires critical emergency intervention.
Research Methodology
- The research relies on a retrospective review of missions conducted by the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust over one year, from 1 July 2011 to 1 July 2012.
- Parameters considered included call details, patient demographics, suspected injuries, interventions made and the patients’ eventual disposition.
- The key focus was on any mission associated with horse-riding accidents.
Research Findings
- Over the data collection period, there were 47 equestrian accidents which represented about 3% of the total annual missions.
- Of the 42 cases attended by HEMS, one patient was declared deceased at the scene.
- In 15 cases, which account for 36% of the total, the patient was airlifted to a hospital.
- Patient anaesthesia before reaching the hospital was reported in 4 cases, thus making up 10% of the incidents.
- There were no specific determining factors identified for HEMS intervention at the scene of equestrian accidents.
- However, the study recognized that riders not wearing helmets, riders falling onto their heads, or horses falling on the riders prompted admission to a major trauma center.
Conclusions and Future Research
- Despite equestrian accidents accounting for a significant percentage of HEMS missions, a majority of these patients do not require HEMS intervention.
- But a critical portion suffer severe, life-threatening injuries necessitating immediate serious intervention.
- Therefore, further research is necessary, focusing on HEMS dispatch, to improve the accuracy of HEMS deployment to equestrian accident scenes.
Cite This Article
APA
Lyon RM, Macauley B, Richardson S, de Coverly R, Russell M.
(2014).
Helicopter emergency medical services response to equestrian accidents.
Eur J Emerg Med, 22(2), 103-106.
https://doi.org/10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000105 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- aEmergency Medicine Research Group, Edinburgh bKent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust, Kent, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Accidents / statistics & numerical data
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Air Ambulances / statistics & numerical data
- Animals
- Athletic Injuries / diagnosis
- Athletic Injuries / therapy
- Databases, Factual
- Emergency Medical Services / statistics & numerical data
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Incidence
- Injury Severity Score
- Male
- Risk Assessment
- Sports
- United Kingdom
- Young Adult
Citations
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