The study hypothesis is that advanced interventions as provided by a physician at an accident scene will decrease the death rate and the rate of severe disability in survivors of severe head injury. Extended interventions by advanced level prehospital providers may include rapid sequence intubation (RSI) airway management, blood transfusions, surgical procedures, etc.
A randomised, controlled trial examining prehospital management of persons with severe blunt head injury, in the Sydney region. Treatments examined will be the current system consisting principally of paramedic management (standard care) compared with management by a retrieval team lead by a consultant anaesthetist, emergency physician or intensive care specialist. Patients for inclusion in the study will be identified by a paramedic screening all "000" calls to the ambulance service and identifying persons likely to have severe head injury. The principal outcome measure will be their degree of disability measured at 6 months post injury.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
338
may include rapid sequence intubation (RSI) airway management, blood transfusions, surgical procedures, etc.
CareFlight, PO Box 159
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Glasgow Outcome Scale Score
Time frame: Six months post injury
Length of hospital and intensive care unit stays
Time frame: At hospital discharge
30 day survival and survival to discharge from the acute care hospital
Time frame: At hospital discharge and 30 days
Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale Score
Time frame: Six months post injury
Disability Rating scale
Time frame: Six months post injury
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