Trauma on the Border 2021

Land, Air and Sea - Conquering unique trauma challenges

Dodging curve balls in prehospital care, a walk in the (zoo) park

A Zookeeper was pinned against a bollard by a 1200kg elephant. This patient presented as critical with severe injuries to the chest including a tension pneumothorax. Paramedics carried out bilateral needle decompression which not only avoided certain death but led to a full patient recovery.

In this presentation we will look at some of the complexities of the pre-hospital setting that can act like “curve balls”, potentially compromising, confusing and distracting us in the field and discuss how to avoid them.

Presented by: Sandy Macken (Intensive Care Paramedic, NSW Ambulance Service)

Following completion of a bachelor’s degree in health science, I joined the Ambulance service of NSW in 1999 at age 20. The first ten years of my career were served at Sydney Ambulance Centre. In 2004 I attained the Intensive Care Paramedic (ICP) clinical rank and then Extended Care Paramedic (ECP) rank in 2012. Since then, work has been based predominantly in the Sydney metropolitan area. I have been deployed overseas in the Philippines for humanitarian aid work following a significant natural disaster and a remote area of Brazil to work on the Survivor television series. In the last three years I have had two children, written and published a successful book ‘Paramedic’, and will be returning to on road duties as an ICP in early 2021. I am currently undertaking a master’s degree in counselling and applied psychotherapy and am a long-term Peer Support Officer for NSW Ambulance and advocate for Paramedic health and wellbeing.