Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC24)

ACPIC 2024 delivered a wide range of clinical and research sessions from experts and leaders in paramedicine. Hosted in Sydney (September 2024) the program was designed to inspire, educate and broaden horizons.

Conference theme: Paramedicine's evolution – Embracing the new era

Can you de-escalate all the people, all the time?

This session aims to highlight the requirement for early identification of heightened individuals and the introduction of early de-escalation interventions when possible to establish a safe working environment and improved clinical outcomes for patients.

Biography: Trevor McGill

Prior to his current role Trevor led investigations into the beliefs, stressors and behaviours of extreme and threatening individuals as a Detective at the Counter Terrorism Command with NSW Police Force. His operational background as a surveillance team leader and a supervisor of undercover operations provides unique experiences in safely engaging with individuals in very heightened, dynamic situations. Trevor is currently completing a master’s degree in Forensic Behavioural Science, is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, the Australia and New Zealand Threat Group and the Council of Ambulance Authorities Occupational Violence working group

Sedation in Cardiac Arrest – Navigating Guidelines and Innovation

The session will aim to emphasise the contemporary evidence surrounding sedation in cardiac arrest whilst highlighting the current state of international prehospital guidelines. By doing so, the presentation aims to simplify when to intervene, how to intervene and why we do so for patients requiring sedation in cardiac arrest.

Biography: Jack Howard

Jack is an Intensive Care Paramedic at Ambulance Victoria. He has worked as a Paramedic for the past 14 years, mostly in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. He has a passion for prehospital research, especially on the subject CPR-Induced Consciousness and Leadership.

ABD Restraint and Sedation Risk

This session will explore the unpredictable nature of deterioration during the process of physically restraining and sedating patients suffering acute behavioural disturbance.

Biography: Adjunct Associate Professor Tony Hucker

Tony Hucker is a Critical Care Paramedic with over four decades of experience in several Australian ambulance jurisdictions. Many years of clinical experience in both ground and rotary wing operations underpin a passion for clinical education and patient safety. Tony has extensive experience reviewing adverse outcomes from acute behavioral disturbance cases.

Safe Sedation Practices

This session aims to explore the safe practice in sedation as a means of safely managing acute behavioural disturbances from medical, mental health and trauma backgrounds. This would include missed opportunities, monitoring and adverse event management utilising contemporary practice

Biography: Associate Professor Jason Bendall

Associate Professor Jason Bendall is specialist paramedic, specialist anaesthetist and specialist prehospital & retrieval specialist. Jason was the former Medical Director for NSW Ambulance and a Conjoint Associate Professor in Anaesthesia at the University of Newcastle.

Moderator: Lucy Oatley, Conference MC and Intensive Care Flight Paramedic