Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T15:00:30.776Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Development and Implementation of a Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT) for Out-of-Hospital Surgical Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2012

Christopher Scott ,
Brant Putnam ,
Scott Bricker ,
Laura Schneider ,
Stephanie Raby ,
William Koenig  and
Marianne Gausche-Hill
Christopher Scott*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA
Brant Putnam
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California USA Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA
Scott Bricker
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California USA Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA
Laura Schneider
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA
Stephanie Raby
Affiliation:
County of Los Angeles EMS Agency, Department of Health Services, Santa Fe Springs, California USA
William Koenig
Affiliation:
County of Los Angeles EMS Agency, Department of Health Services, Santa Fe Springs, California USA
Marianne Gausche-Hill
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California USA Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA
*
Correspondence: Christopher Scott, MD Department of Emergency Medicine Harbor-UCLA Medical Center 1000 W Carson St., Box 21 Torrance, CA 90509 USA E-mail [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Over the past two decades, Los Angeles County has implemented a Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT) to provide on-scene, advanced surgical care of injured patients as an element of the local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. Since 2008, the primary responsibility of the team has been to perform surgical procedures in the austere field setting when prolonged extrication is anticipated. Following the maxim of “life over limb,” the team is equipped to provide rapid amputation of an entrapped extremity as well as other procedures and medical care, such as anxiolytics and advanced pain control. This report describes the development and implementation of a local EMS system HERT.

Scott C, Putnam B, Bricker S, Schneider L, Raby S, Koenig W, Gausche-Hill M. The development and implementation of a Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT) for out-of-hospital surgical care. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(3):1-5.

Keywords

amputationEmergency Medical ServicesEMStrauma
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 3 , June 2012 , pp. 267 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Al-Shaqsi, S. Model of international Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems. OMJ. 2010;25(4):320-323.Google Scholar
2. Stewart, RD, Young, JC, Kenney, DA, Hirschberg, JM. Field surgical intervention: an unusual case. J Trauma. 1979;19(10):780-783.Google Scholar
3. Kelly, JB, Thompson, AS, Gervin, AA. Field leg amputation by a paramedic. Prehosp Emerg Care. 1999;3(1):77.Google ScholarPubMed
4. Dunn, EL, Wynn, J, Polanco, L. A rare case of bilateral upper extremity field amputation. J Air Med Transp. 1989;8(11):4-5.Google Scholar
5. Ho, JD, Conterato, M, Mahoney, BD, Miner, JR, Benson, JL. Successful patient outcome after field extremity amputation and cardiac arrest. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2003;7(1):149-153.Google Scholar
6. Porter, KM. Prehospital amputation. Emerg Med J. 2010;27:940-942.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. Blank-Reid, C, Santora, TA. Developing and implementing a surgical response and physician triage team. Disaster Manage Response. 2003;1(2):41-45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Sharp, CF, Mangram, AJ, Lorenzo, M, Dunn, EL. A major metropolitan “field amputation” team: a call to arms…and legs. J Trauma. 2009;67(6):1158-1161.Google Scholar
9. Kampen, KE, Krohmer, JR, Jones, JS, Dougherty, JM, Bonness, RK. In-field extremity amputation: prevalance and protocols in Emergency Medical Services. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1996;11(1):63-66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Jaslow, D, Barbera, JA, Desai, S, Jolly, T. An Emergency Department based field response team: case report and recommendations for a “Go Team.” Prehosp Emerg Care. 1998;2(1):81-85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Foil, MB, Cunningham, PRG, Hale, JC, Benson, NH, Treurniet, S. Civilian field surgery in the rural trauma setting: a proposal for providing optimal care. J Natl Med Assoc. 1992;84:787-789.Google ScholarPubMed
12. The Los Angeles County EMS Agency Hospital Emergency Response Team Policy. http://ems.dhs.lacounty.gov/policies/Ref800/817.pdf. Accessed February 7, 2011.Google Scholar
13. Cryer, HG, Hiatt, JR, Eckstein, M, et al. . Improved trauma system multicasualty incident response: comparison of two train crash disasters. J Trauma. 2010;68(4):783-789.Google ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: Image

Scott supplementary material

Scott supplementary material

Download Scott supplementary material(Image)
Image 21.7 KB