FP-C #3 Flashcards
The three organizational models for air transport programs
Hospital-based, public service agencies, private service agencies
Define: IFR
Mode of flight used when minimal cloud clearance and visibility requirements are not met
Towards upwind
what direction will helicopters orient themselves when landing
Define: Sterile cockpit
Term used to describe silence invoked during takeoff and landing and other critical phases of flight
What are the three basic modes of EMS communication?
Written. Verbal. Electronic.
7 Common Relative Contraindications to Air Transport
severe anemia, hemoglobinopathy, MI complicated and after 5 days, uncontrolled arrythmia, 24+ week gestation, recent eye surgery
4 Major Factors in HEMS crashes
human error, weather, mechanical failure, controlled flight into terrain
NTSB
national transportation safety board- conducts studies for improving transportation safety.
Two primary entities that conduct flight following
EMS communications center and ATC
The two main aircraft types in transport medicine
Fixed- wing and rotor- wing
UHF (ultra-high-frequency) radio waves
These frequencies are advantageous because they have high penetrating power and can easily pass through buildings. Disadvantages are that they only travel a short distance and are limited to line of sight. These frequencies are more applicable in urban areas.
Hard Landing
when the aircraft contacts the ground with much more force than normally required for a landing
Spacial disorientation
occurs when a sensory illusions are experienced during flight that send false input to the brain
Part 135: Basic IFR Weather Minimums (NIGHT)
1000’ (or higher) within a horizontal distance of 5 miles
Repeater
A device that receives transmissions from a low-wattage radio and rebroadcasts the signal at a higher wattage and perhaps a different frequency. This increases the range of mobile transmissions, especially over rough terrain.
Trunked
A system that pools several frequencies and uses a computer to route incoming transmissions to the next available frequency. This frees the dispatcher or field unit from having to search for an available frequency.
CAMTS personnel standards
shifts 12 hrs, not on-duty for >16hrs in 24hrs, those working>16hrs in 24 can take unscheduled breaks PRN
12 o’clock position
this the helicopter position that you approach the aircraft
Mechanism of Injury
This is the parameter that HEMS is no longer basing flight criteria solely off of
What is the function of an encoder in a communications system?
A combination lock on a radio. By transmitting a series of tones, a transmitting station can unlock the receiver at a particular radio so it can receive traffic intended for it. Allows base stations to share a frequency without having to listen to traffic not intended for them.
Air medical transport (AMT) and treatment times
AMT showed to reduced door to catheterization time, door to operating room time, and door to thrombolytic therapy time, considerably
This is the leading predictor of overtriage in the medical literature.
high percentages of discharge from ER rates
Define: Overtriage
Occurs when considering a patient to be in graver condition than he or she really is.
Define: flight following
The tracking of an aircraft’s progress throughout its mission
List three alternative technologies that can be used to supplement radio communications.
Cellular telephone. Facsimile. Computer.
Responsibilities of EMS dispatcher
Call taking. Alerting and directing response. Monitoring and coordinating communications. Giving prearrival instructions. Maintaining incident records.
Human error types
skill deficiency- perception errors- decision making errors
Helicopter shopping
the practice of making sequential calls to numerous air medical providers in an attempt to find a service that will accept a call that other services have declined
Part 135: Basic VFR Weather Minimums
1200’ ceiling (or above) and 3 miles visibility
helicopters first action upon water ditching
flip upside down
water ditching
intentional landing into a body of water
Disadvantages of fixed wing transport
Cost between $10,000 for short flights to $100,000 for Intercontinental- must maintain landing fields runway length restrictions, hangers required
Part 91: Basic VFR Weather Minimums
1000’ ceiling or above
VHF (very-high-frequency) radio waves
Low-band radio waves are able to curve and follow the shape of the earth or move around obstacles. This enables commnication over long distances. They are susceptible to interference. High-band radio waves travel in a straight line and do not bend to follow the curve of the earth or around obstacles. They are less susceptible to interference.
Incline Rule
Always approach an aircraft from the downhill side
Part 135: Basic IFR Weather Minimums (DAY)
500’ ceiling (or above)
CAMTS pilot standards
min 2000 hrs flt time (1500 in helicopter), 1000hrs as PIC, 200hrs night flying, 500 turbine hrs (1000 preferred), 5 hrs geographic orientation with another pilot
Rule of 3s
3 minutes without oxygen, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food
Disadvantages of rotor wing
More restricted weather regulation than fixed wing transport, smaller interior space, more expensive to own and operate, weight limitations
Define: CAMTS
A program dedicated to ensuring high quality patient care and safety with ground, fixed- wing, and rotor- wing services.
Attributes of rotor wing
Vertical takeoff and landing, speeds about 150 mph, able to operate at altitudes below 2000 feet, able to move from point to point
Average cost per flight (helicopter).
$5-10K
4g
the amount of force required to initiate the ELT
Three basic governing concepts of air medical services
Bring critical care personnel to the patient, stabilize the patient, transport to a tertiary center
Simplex
A communication system that uses radios that transmit and receive on the same frequency. This means that only one radio in the system can transmit at a time.
What federal agency regulates the use of radio communication in the United States?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Hot Loading
refers to loading a patient onto or out of the aircraft while the engine is running
Air medical transport provides this percentage of US population access to level 1 trauma centers
65%
Define: VFR
Mode of flight used when weather conditions are good (good visibility, minimal cloud cover)
Flight following requirements: ground transportation
Every 45 minutes
How are the basic modes of EMS communication used during a typical EMS call?
Between the the party requesting for help and the dispatcher. Between the dispatcher and the paramedic. Between the paramedic, patient, receiving facility, and/or medical direction physician.
CFR Part 91
Code of Federal Regulations- regs for the domestic flights
Safety Briefings
daily discussions including the daily plan, crew member duties, equipment and aircraft issues, weather expectations, and emergency situations
Base station
The principal transmitter and receiver of a communications system.
Human error
This is the leading cause of crashes in flight medicine
Flight following requirements: fixed wing
Without filing flight plan, every 30 minutes
Two major types of fixed wing aircrafts
Turboprop, jet engine
An incident where a pilot does not have to maintain flight following with ATC in IFR conditions
When the pilot checks in with the EMS communication center every 15 minutes
Attributes of fixed wing transport
Safer due to established landing zones, speeds between 250 to 600 mph, travel greater distances, care he multiple patients
Multiplex
A system that has the capability of transmitting two signals, usually voice and ECG, on the same frequency. This allows a paramedic to transmit ECG telemetry to a hospital while continuing to talk with the on-line medical control physician.
Three types of rotor wing mission profiles
Transport of sick and injured, search and rescue, police operations
55%
percentage of crashes that occur during scene flights
The two types of flight rules
Visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR)
Somatogravic illusion
Rapid acceleration that produces illusion of nose-high altitude and prompts you to enter a dive
CFR Part 135
Code of Federal Regulations- regs for the domestic commuter flights
Advantages of twin engined helicopters
Two patient capacity, larger openings, larger patient care area, greater lift capacity, duel engines in case one fails
Define: pilot isolation
This occurs with the pilot isolates himself from internal aircraft communication so that they can relay information to air-traffic control
Weather Decline
the act of not accepting a flight based on poor initial or future weather conditions
100 x 100 feet
common size of a HEMS landing zone
40%
percentage of crashes that occur at night
Crew resource management
the practice of using all available information, people, and equipment to achieve safe and efficient flight operations
Duplex
A communication system that uses radios that transmit and recieve on different frequencies. The paired receive and transmit frequencies in a system that are referred to as a channel. Radios can transmit and receive simultaneously, allowing communications to take place as if they were going over a telephone line.
Minimum effective distance that HEMS becomes quicker than ground transport.
34 miles (30 nautical miles)
What are prearrival instructions?
Directions for appropriate initial emergency care read to a caller by a trained dispatcher while EMS personnel are responding.
PSAP (public safety answering point)
The single location where 9-1-1 calls from a specific geographic area are routed for answering.
Emergency locator transmitter
hardware on board to begin transmitting a radiobeacon once an aircraft crashes
6 o’clock position
dangerous location of the aircraft because of the spinning tail rotor
Flight following requirements: VFR helicopter
Radio contact every 15 minutes
Advantages to single-engine helicopters
Start up time 3 to 5 minutes, less downtime for maintenance, lower costs, lower fuel requirements, smaller landing zones
PIC
Pilot in charge
Define: Undertriage
Occurs when considering a patient to be less serious than he or she really is.
