** UK woman awarded substantial compensation in EMS delay case
** London, UK air medics using revolutionary new technique to stop internal blood loss
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** A London woman who waited 100 minutes for an ambulance after collapsing in October 2007 has won some 5 million pounds in compensation. That is the word from News.com.au (June 17) which said Caren Peterson, 36, will now need 24 hour care as a result of the incident. According to the news site, scientist city Peterson continues to suffer confusion, disorientation, and chronic amnesia from the cardiac arrest she suffered seven years ago. Her compensation will be given in a lump sum plus annual payments. By way of explanation for the EMS delay, Peterson’s lawyer said her Islington road address had been somehow flagged as dangerous, prompting the EMS crew to wait for police assistance before responding. Medics were around 100 metres away from the home at the time.
** Trauma care outside hospitals in London got a boost recently with air ambulance medics now authorized to insert balloon devices inside major blood vessels to halt internal blood loss. The BBC (Smitha Mundasad/June 16) said the advance for city flight medics is a first in the world. Pioneered at the Royal London Hospital, the technique is known as Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta or Reboa. Air medics have already successfully employed the approach with a patient who suffered both a pelvic injury and bleeding. London Air Ambulance medical director Dr. Gareth Davies said he hopes the procedure will reduce deaths in patients who would normally bleed out before reaching hospital care.
