Planning and Communication

Clinical staff should initiate contact with ARV early in the patient care pathway or, more importantly as soon as it is identified that the patient meets the major trauma transfer criteria. This is important as the patient may have sustained injuries beyond the reasonable capability of the non-major trauma designated hospital or urgent care service. ARV can be contacted at any time throughout the patient care episode to provide or coordinate clinical advice and consultation.

ARV coordinators can facilitate a multi-party conversations between the referral health service, specialist resources and ARV consultant to discuss the timely management of the patient.

The decision of when to transfer an unstable patient should ideally be made by the transferring and receiving clinicians in collaboration with the retrieval service. Clear communication is crucial; the transfer of vital information allows receiving clinicians to mobilise necessary resources while the inadvertent omission of such information can delay definitive care. Information should be conveyed in both verbal and written form (via the patient record) and should include the patient’s identifying information, relevant medical history, out of hospital management, evaluation and treatment (including procedures performed and imaging obtained). Where possible, imaging obtained should also be electronically transferred to the receiving MTS to aide in decision making and planning.

There are many different types of structured handover. ISBAR & IMIST-AMBO being two of the most common.
  • Identification: Introduce / identify clinician/self & their role, intro of the patient – age, sex, name.
  • Mechanism of Injury / presenting complaint: Specific explanation of the patients presenting problem and history of presenting complaint.
  • Injuries / Interventions: Information relating to injuries. Complete top to toe summary. Include what interventions have been performed to help stabilise the patient – e.g. Size 8 ETT
  • Signs / Symptoms: Looks at the assessment of the patient, requires details of the patient current vital signs and GCS.
  • Treatments / Trends: Identifies the treatment that was required – e.g. sedation / paralysis & how the patient’s condition has changed. Point of transition of responsibility and accountability for patient care.
  • Allergies: Include what type of reaction
  • Medication: Patients usual medication
  • Background History: Patients medical history
  • Other information: Relevant social information. (28)
It is important that additional communication with the ARV coordinator is initiated when there is:
  1. Significant deterioration in: conscious state, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory status, oxygenation
  2. Major clinical developments such as significantly abnormal diagnostic tests and new clinical signs.
  3. The need for major interventions prior to the retrieval team arriving (for example, intubation or surgery). This will ensure the retrieval team is prepared, the patient receives the appropriate care in transit, and the patient is referred to the correct destination facility.


Early management