Mock mass casualty tests emergency specialists.
Local Intensive Care Paramedic Gilly Gates showing leadership
during a tense scenario.
Mock mountain biking mass casualty
tests emergency specialists
A mountain biking adventure through the
Redwoods soon turned to an exhilarating mass
casualty rescue mission for emergency medicine
specialists participating in a mock trauma.
Record numbers of emergency and critical care specialists across
Australasia descended on Rotorua last month for the Australasian
College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) winter symposium aptly
named ‘Te Wero – The Challenge’.
Tauranga Hospital ED Consultant Suzanne Moran was part of the
organising committee and ED Consultants Finn Coulter and Paul
Blakemore delivered two workshops.
The Advanced Airways workshop had both didactic and practical
hands on elements. Organised by Finn with ENT Surgeon
Chris Lowe, ENT Registrar Rachael Bentall and Anaesthetist
Dr Owen Callender, participants not only got exposed to the
latest available equipment, but also the unique experience of
viewing Finn’s vocal cords on the big screen delivered via nasal
endoscopy while he talked!
Participants visited from around the world
and received practical rescue & extraction
sessions from NZ experts.
The Whakarewarewa Redwoods was the scene for the pre-
hospital rescue workshop. This was a unique full day workshop
carried out on mountain bikes and introduced participants to the
challenges of managing severely injured casualties in an austere
environment. It was quite a significant logistical undertaking and
faculty, role players and volunteers included members of the
Auckland Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), two
of our local St. John Intensive Care Paramedics, ED Registrars
Kathryn Parnham and Paul Campbell and ED SHO Nicole Toy.
Thirty emergency medicine specialists jumped on their mountain
bikes for an exhilarating ride around the forest. Following
each trail they happened to come across simulated casualties
included hunters with firearm injuries and forest workers trapped
under logs. Participants were required to deliver a number of
interventions including definitive airway management and field
amputation and the exercise finished with all participants involved
in a multiple casualty scenario. We’ve received lots of positive
feedback. It’s been ongoing and we have a growing list of people
keen for us to organise another exercise like this.
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Playing the role of Fire Officer, ED SHO Dr Nicole Toy is first at the
scene to help ‘injured logger', ED Registrar Dr Paul Campbell during
the ‘life before limb’ field amputation scenario.
Finn and Paul are passionate advocates for the delivery of high-level
emergency medicine and feel the great successes of the day, like
many of the advances made here in our own ED, were only possible
because of the tremendous support of our specialist colleagues.
Thanks also to Tauranga Hospital Resuscitation Coordinator Andy
Davies who generously provided advice and equipment.