become careless and transport the victim in a way thatwill aggravate the injuries.Emergency VehiclesIn most peacetime emergency situations, someform of ambulance will be available to transport thevictim to a medical treatment facility. Navyambulances vary in size and shape from the old “grayghost” to modern van and modular units. Althoughthere are many differences in design and storagecapacity, most Navy ambulances are equipped to meetthe same basic emergency requirements. They containequipment and supplies for emergency airway care,artificial ventilation, suction, oxygenation,hemorrhage control, fracture immobilization, shockcontrol, blood pressure monitoring, and poisoning.They will also contain litters, spineboards, and othersupplies and equipment as mandated in BUMEDINST6700.42. (Table 3–1, at the beginning of this chapter,lists the currently required equipment for EMT-Basiclevel ambulances, and table 3–2 lists the contents of anemergency bag that a Hospital Corpsman might find inthat ambulance.)Deployed units at sea and in the field and certaincommands near air stations will also have access tohelicopter MEDEVAC support. Helicopters are idealfor use in isolated areas but are of limited practical useat night, in adverse weather, under certain tacticalconditions, or in developed areas where building andpower lines interfere. In addition to taking thesefactors into consideration, the Corpsman must decideif the victim’s condition is serious enough to justify acall for a helicopter.Some injuries require very smooth transportationor are affected by pressure changes that occur in flight.The final decision will be made by the unitcommander, who is responsible for requesting thehelicopter support.Preparing the Patient for TransportLEARNING OBJECTIVE:R e c a l lp re p a r a t o r y, e n ro u t e , a n d t u r n o v e rprocedures for patients being transported tomedical treatment facilities.Once emergency medical care has been completedon-scene, the patient must be transferred to the medicaltreatment facility. A process known as packagingprovides the means of properly positioning, covering,and securing the patient to avoid any unnecessaryaggravation to the patient’s condition. (Covering helpsmaintain the patient’s body temperature, preventsexposure to the elements, and provides privacy.) Donot “package” a badly traumatized patient; it is moreimportant to transport the critical or unstable patient tothe medical treatment facility quickly. The mostimportant aspect of each rescue or transfer is tocomplete it as safely and efficiently as possible.Care of Patient en RouteThe emergency care a Corpsman can offer patientsen route is limited only by the availability of supplies,the level of external noise and vibrations, and thedegree and ingenuity the Corpsman possesses.3-25Figure 3–43.—Two-person arm carry (alternate).
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