VICTORIA. — State-of-the-art portable blood chemistry analysers are allowing highly skilled Ambulance Victoria paramedics to perform critical blood tests in the field, helping patients receive life-saving care faster, thanks to the generous support of Victorians.
Seven new devices have been purchased thanks to almost $47,000 in community donations to Air Ambulance Victoria.
Ambulance Victoria’s five air ambulance helicopters, the Air Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) fixed-wing plane and a road ambulance used by MICA flight paramedics are equipped with the handheld devices, which provide laboratory-quality results from just a few drops of blood in one to three minutes.
The analysers allow MICA flight paramedics to rapidly assess critical biomarkers including blood gases, electrolytes and lactate at the patient’s side, enhancing clinical decision-making and helping patients receive the right treatments as quickly as possible.
Ambulance Victoria Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Senior Team Manager Andy McKenzie said it’s a game-changer for clinical care.
“Traditionally, many important blood tests could only be performed after a patient arrived at hospital. These blood chemistry analysers make crucial clinical information available in a matter of minutes, rather than one or two hours,” Andy said.
“Having such objective clinical information when treating time-critical patients is a huge advantage at Air Ambulance Victoria and assists us greatly in delivering life-saving clinical interventions.”
The analysers are used to assess and treat patients experiencing a range of time-critical conditions including severe trauma, respiratory failure and circulatory emergencies, providing valuable diagnostic information earlier in the patient’s care journey.
Results can help MICA flight paramedics make more informed clinical decisions at the scene, while also giving receiving hospitals more time and a clearer understanding of the patient’s condition before they arrive.
“The data the analysers provide us with includes a patient’s haemoglobin and haematocrit values, which are important laboratory markers used in trauma patients to assess blood loss, oxygen-carrying capacity and response to resuscitation,” Andy said.
“When combined with our clinical assessment and on-scene ultrasound, blood chemistry analysis can help identify life-threatening conditions such as hidden internal bleeding, whether a patient may need packed red blood cells and help assess the effectiveness of resuscitation using blood products.”
Highly-skilled MICA flight paramedics and air crews aboard Air Ambulance Victoria’s fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing planes can reach patients in the most remote places, and with winching capabilities can perform retrievals in extremely hard-to-reach locations across the state, including land and sea.
The blood chemistry analysers are a particularly valuable tool for guiding the treatment of patients in life-threatening conditions as they are treated and transported from very remote settings to metropolitan trauma centres.
The analysers also support highly specialised clinical interventions performed by MICA flight paramedics, including rapid sequence intubation, where a critically injured or unwell patient is placed into medically induced unconsciousness so paramedics can manage their airway and breathing.
“Arterial blood gas analysis is one of the most valuable tools for ensuring safe transfer of patients whose breathing is being managed by paramedics. This analysis provides critical information allowing ventilation to be tailored to the patient’s needs,” he said.
Funded entirely through incredibly generous community donations, the new equipment replaces older blood gas analysis devices and expands access to contemporary point-of-care diagnostic technology across Air Ambulance Victoria.
The investment demonstrates how the generosity of Ambulance Victoria supporters directly strengthens the clinical care paramedics can provide to patients across Victoria.
