Southern helicopter paramedics were put through their paces yesterday during an intense medical training featuring hyper-realistic human mannequins and deer heads.<\/p>\n
It was all part of the HeliOtago paramedics annual training, where high-stress scenarios were acted out and participants got refreshers on all their critical skills.<\/p>\n
Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (Hems) clinical manager Jessie McMath Price said they ran specialised training for South Island helicopter paramedics six times per year.<\/p>\n
The paramedics were going thorough the pre-hospital, emergency and anaesthesia course.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Essentially we focus on airway management and … high-risk but low-occurrence skills so they are equipped to support people in need, particularly where there\u2019s transport required.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
There were six different skill rotations the paramedics took part in \u2014 which included surgical front of neck access, Ms McMath Price said<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018That is where, if you have a failed airway attempt, you need to do it surgically through the front.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
For that, paramedics practised on deer heads given by hunters, and used because their neck simulated a human\u2019s quite well, she said.<\/p>\n
Other sessions included a specific paediatric airway session, an adult airway station, suction assistance, as well as two problem-solving scenarios.<\/p>\n
Many of the stations used hyper-realistic mannequins which looked like a human on the outside, but also had the necessary anatomy inside.<\/p>\n