Crash Victims Info

What is the protocol for a paramedic in a car crash situation?

I was wondering what the protocol was for a paramedic in a situation where there has been a car crash with victims still in the car. Any thoughts are welcome. Sweet, thanks for the details. What would you do if someone was semi-conscious but no overt physical injuries?

Public Comments

1. Extrication if needed. Triage, determine other sources needed, other ambulances, air ambulance. Treat most serious patients first (red) than less serious (yellow) and than walking wounded (green). Red patients would go by air ambulance if possible. Than ambulances for everyone else. Every EMS system is different. Its not real clear what your wanting exactly. If your wondering about treatment, it would depend on injuries. In our department, the patient would probably get intubated, a breathing tube put into their trachea. Due to them being semi-conscious they can not control their airway on their own should they vomit. Spinal immobilization as a precaution, in case there are neck or back injuries. Maintain airway, lidocaine for head injury and possibly some pain meds because intubation can be uncomfortable.
2. They triage the situation, those in the worse shape get helped first. The firemen usually carry the equipment to remove people from cars... the jaws of life. So if someone is trapped in a car they have to be removed for aid to be rendered. In the end, there are so many people on the scene that everyone gets the help that they need.
3. Not a paramedic...but trained in First Aid and CPR...I believe the protocol first is to check the situation to make sure it is safe...a paramedic can do little to no good if he/she becomes injured in an unsafe situation...after that, I believe that care first is given for the victim that is in the most dire condition...for example, a person having a heart attack would be treated before a person with a broken leg...similar to how emergency room personnel decides who gets treated first if ER gets busy...just a guess, but a very educated and sensible one
4. check for scene saftey, determine hazards, control c-spine, if the doors cannot be open, extrication must be done... if all pts are stuck in the car, then the ones that are the worst off come out first... depending on the situation of the vehicle, they may just rapidly take them out, but preferably they will take them out on a long spine board... while waiting on the extrication unit, the emts can go ahead and get iv's started, bandages, and stuff like that... if the person is semi conscious, then more than likely their is brain and spinal trauma, you would want to take all spinal precautions and get them to the closest most appropriate facility asap... more than likely we would fly them out!!!!