Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review

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dc.contributor.advisorHodkinson, Peter
dc.contributor.advisorHoward, Ian
dc.contributor.authorPark-Ross, Jocelyn Frances
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-16T07:14:16Z
dc.date.available2022-03-16T07:14:16Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.date.updated2022-03-16T00:08:12Z
dc.description.abstractIntroduction - Helicopter search and rescue in Africa is conducted primarily by military organizations. Since 2002 the Western Cape of South Africa has had a dedicated contracted civilian helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) conducting air ambulance, terrestrial and aquatic rescue. This is the first description of the operations of an African helicopter rescue service. Objective - To describe the terrestrial and aquatic helicopter rescue activity of a civilian operated HEMS in the Western Cape, South Africa from 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2016. Methods - A five-year retrospective review was conducted using data from the organization's operational database, aviation documents, rescue reports and patient care records. Patient demographics and activity at time of rescue, temporal and geographical distribution, crewing compositions, patient injury, triage, clinical interventions and rescue techniques were analysed. Results – A total of 581 search and rescue missions were conducted, of which 451 were terrestrial and 130 aquatic rescues. The highest volume of rescues was conducted within the urban Cape Peninsula. Hoisting using a rescue harness was the most common rescue technique used. 644 patients were rescued. Uninjured or minorly injured persons represented 79% of the sample. Trauma (33%, 196/644) was the most common medical reason for rescue, with lower limb trauma predominant (15%, 90/644). The most common clinical interventions performed were intravenous access (108, 24%), spinal immobilization (92, 21%), splinting (76, 17%) and analgesia administration (58, 13%). Conclusions - The patient demographics and rescue activity described are similar to those described in high-income settings.
dc.identifier.apacitationPark-Ross, J. F. (2021). <i>Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review</i>. (). ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Emergency Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36146en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationPark-Ross, Jocelyn Frances. <i>"Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review."</i> ., ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Emergency Medicine, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36146en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationPark-Ross, J.F. 2021. Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review. . ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Emergency Medicine. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36146en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Master Thesis AU - Park-Ross, Jocelyn Frances AB - Introduction - Helicopter search and rescue in Africa is conducted primarily by military organizations. Since 2002 the Western Cape of South Africa has had a dedicated contracted civilian helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) conducting air ambulance, terrestrial and aquatic rescue. This is the first description of the operations of an African helicopter rescue service. Objective - To describe the terrestrial and aquatic helicopter rescue activity of a civilian operated HEMS in the Western Cape, South Africa from 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2016. Methods - A five-year retrospective review was conducted using data from the organization's operational database, aviation documents, rescue reports and patient care records. Patient demographics and activity at time of rescue, temporal and geographical distribution, crewing compositions, patient injury, triage, clinical interventions and rescue techniques were analysed. Results – A total of 581 search and rescue missions were conducted, of which 451 were terrestrial and 130 aquatic rescues. The highest volume of rescues was conducted within the urban Cape Peninsula. Hoisting using a rescue harness was the most common rescue technique used. 644 patients were rescued. Uninjured or minorly injured persons represented 79% of the sample. Trauma (33%, 196/644) was the most common medical reason for rescue, with lower limb trauma predominant (15%, 90/644). The most common clinical interventions performed were intravenous access (108, 24%), spinal immobilization (92, 21%), splinting (76, 17%) and analgesia administration (58, 13%). Conclusions - The patient demographics and rescue activity described are similar to those described in high-income settings. DA - 2021_ DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Emergency Medicine LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2021 T1 - Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review TI - Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36146 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/36146
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationPark-Ross JF. Rescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review. []. ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Emergency Medicine, 2021 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36146en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDivision of Emergency Medicine
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.subjectEmergency Medicine
dc.titleRescue activity of a civilian helicopter emergency medical service in the western cape, South Africa: a five-year retrospective review
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPhil
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