Friday, March 9, 2012

** London, UK air medics now able to do blood transfusions at accident scenes

** Female Colorado paramedic suing former service over sexual harassment claims

UNITED KINGDOM NEWS

** London Air Ambulance medics will be able to do blood tranfusions at accident scenes, now that service aircraft can carry the related blood supplies. That is the word from the BBC (Neil Bowdler/March 5) which said the organization is the first in the country to make the innovation. According to the news service, advancements in refrigeration technology borrowed from US and UK militaries paved the way for the move. Lead service clinician Dr. Anne Weaver said air medics attend about 90 cases annually where patients are bleeding to death when practitioners arrive;a further 160 die before hospital arrival. Following London’s lead, several regional air EMS providers are expected to follow suit.

UNITED STATES NEWS

** A former Colorado paramedic is suing her service over allegations she was sexually harassed while on the job. The Chieftain (Robert Boczkiewicz/March 6) said Michelle Castillo, who worked for Trinidad Ambulance District, claims she was regularly subjected to both inappropriate touching and comments on the part of the service’s executive director and another paramedic. Both individuals involved have denied the allegations. Along with claiming her concerns about the treatment were never addressed, Castillo’s suit also alleges she was discriminated against because of her skin color and gender. The suit was filed last week in US District Court.