Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC 2022)

ACPIC 2022 delivered a wide range of clinical and research sessions from experts and leaders in paramedicine. Hosted in Brisbane (September 2022) the program was designed to inspire, educate and broaden horizons.

Conference theme: Embracing Strengths | Shaping Futures

Case based learning - Older person trauma

The paradigm of older person trauma opens up the conversation about how we view and treat injuries in the older person. Trauma conjures up a mental picture of massive haemorrhage and major incidents, but for an older person a simple fall from standing can lead to significant life-altering traumatic injuries. This session will challenge the way you think about the trauma paradigm and how this relates to older people and the mainstay of jobs we attend as a paramedic.

Presented by: Anthony Carnicelli, Dr Mya Cubitt, Kim Harting, Kerrianne Watt and Tanja Hirvonen

Biographies

Anthony Carnicelli Anthony started his paramedic career with Ambulance Tasmania in 2004 after working as an Orthoptist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. He is currently a Paramedic Educator coordinating AT’s community paramedic course and co-coordinates the intensive care paramedic training. He is also a practicing Intensive Care Flight Paramedic and an Extended Care Paramedic. He completed his Master of Advanced Paramedicine (Critical and Primary Care) at UTAS in 2020 and has stared his PhD investigating paramedic management of low acuity cases. His main areas of interest include expanding paramedic patient examination skills as well as cardiology, airway management, paediatrics, and clinical decision making.

Dr Mya Cubitt Short bio Dr Mya Cubitt is a NZer, living in Australia with her South African husband and their three Australian children. Mya trained at Otago University, completing her advanced training in Emergency Medicine with a peripatetic journey across Australia, the Buchanan Prize for the highest scoring candidate in the fellowship exam for the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) and a fellowship in Paediatric Critical Care at The Royal Children’s Hospital. She has a masters degree in Trauma Science from Queen Mary University, completing a dissertation on frailty assessments in trauma and in 2021, Mya convened the first seminar and research workshop on Geriatric Trauma, #GEMSEM2021.

Kim Harting Kim is an advanced care paramedic currently hailing from the Metro South region in Queensland but has worked predominantly in North Queensland. Prior to converting to the prehospital world, she completed a public health degree and found a passion for research and evidence-based practice. Since then, she has been involved in a few research projects in both the paramedic and public health fields. She is currently completing her Master of Critical Care Paramedicine, and in her free time (when it exists!) she loves spending time with her international-based family, cuddling her two cats and riding horses.

Dr Kerrianne Watt Dr Watt is an Epidemiologist with a background in research methods and evidence-based practice, with specific expertise in injury epidemiology & the prehospital/emergency sector. She is Principal Research Manager in the Information Support, Research and Evaluation unit, Queensland Ambulance Service. She holds an Adjunct Professor position with James Cook University, where she was formerly the Associate Dean Research Education and responsible for teaching Epidemiology and Biostatistics to students in Health Sciences for 8 years. Her research has a strong translational focus, in line with her ethos to increase the capacity of health professionals in the prehospital/ emergency sector to conduct, engage with and interpret high quality research to improve clinical practice. She has 100+ peer-reviewed publications.

Tanja Hirvonen Tanja Hirvonen is a Jaru and Bunaba woman, a registered clinical psychologist currently based in Queensland and practising across Australia.  Tanja holds a double degree in psychology and human resource management. Tanja has a research and clinical background and has extensive experience in working with individuals, families and organisations in regard to social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) and complex trauma. 

Conference MC: Dr Ben Meadley (Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Monash and Operational Improvement Lead (MICA) & senior Intensive Care Flight Paramedic (MICA), Ambulance Victoria)