Antarctica 2013-2014: First Medevac

My first medevac has been completed. Patients from a helicopter crash approximately 1-hour flight time with a Twin Otter (a small twin engine airplane) from McMurdo. We were notified around 2000 on Wednesday evening about the incident and that we might get some patients. Due to some language barrier it was a lot of different information that was received. Our lead MD was down at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) and I was there for a short period of time and went on to go back to the clinic and start to get things in order if we were to receive these four patients. As I have mentioned in an earlier posting is that if get more than 2 critical patients we are on the border to call it an MCI (Mass Casualty Incident). It sounds strange to say that, but with our limited resources here and not having the medical staff or the medical technology as we have available in the US we are dependent on volunteers from the community here.

Part of our team waiting for patients to arrive around midnight

Main bays ready for patients

Team getting a little bit of rest before the patients arrive.

We called in a few people to assist us, we never called it as a proper MCI. We had a few people that were needed to run the lab and assist with x-rays. We are also lucky to have a couple of trained paramedics on station that are willing to help out. All in all I feel we were as prepared as we could be for the patients that we were expecting. Our lead MD, Mark did a great job with letting us know what was going on and sharing information with us as he got them. Flight surgeon Dr Steve Norris did a great job in assisting in organizing the clinic.

Dr Norris ready for patients to arrive

At 0130 Thursday the patient’s arrived. We only have one ambulance on station so we utilized 3 passenger vans as make shift ambulances. They got the sea ice runway closest to McMurdo as landing strip ready, even though it was officially shutdown for aircraft operations for a few days earlier. A great job by Fleet-Ops to get it ready in a few hours.

Pt treatment area 2

We received 4 patients and we were told that the earliest we could get these patients off to New Zealand for more definitive care would be at 1030 in the morning. Our station manager Steve Dunbar came to the clinic several times to see what was going on and ask if we needed anything else and updating us on the status for the flight out to New Zealand. At 0730 we started to move the patients from the clinic down to the helipad in town for transport out to Pegasus Airfield. The reason for flying the patients out there was the condition of the road and the distance. It would take us over an hour in the ambulance and vans vs. 10 min to get to Pegasus. We got all the patients loaded in to two Bell 212 (2 in each aircraft) that we have. Once out at the airfield we got them all loaded in to a LC-130 flown by the 109^th Air Lift Wing, Air National Guard from New York. This being my first Medevac off the ice, it was nice to have the Medtech Jay that has been with us for a couple of weeks to assist with the process.

Once in the air it was just a very long uneventful flight to Christchurch, not even the minimed or ventilator was giving us any trouble. When we arrived in Christchurch we had 4 ambulances waiting to take the patients to the hospital. We gave report to the crews and they took over the care of the patients. All we had left to do was to pack up our gear and hand them over to the cargo people so they could be put on the next flight back to McMurdo.

Tight quarters on our way to the helipad in the ambulance

2 patients in each Bell 212 for transport to Air field

Arrival to the airfield

Patients being loaded in to the LC-130

Loading the patients

Jay giving orders

Patient care during flight

Off-loadeing patients in Christchurch

Once we had passed through customs and immigration we headed to the hotel. It was nice to see something green and smell the grass. It reminded me a lot of a Swedish summer evening. The temperature was just right and even the smells reminded me of a Swedish summer night. Next up after getting out of the clothes I had been wearing for the past 36 hours and take a shower was to try to find a grocery store. We are scheduled to return tomorrow at 0930 and I had some things that people had been asked me if I could get to them. I did not promise anything but I would at least try. We managed to find a store before they closed and get the stuff that I wanted. It was a strange feeling in a way to be in a store again, we have a very small store on station with limited items, here there was everything. A lot of aisles to go and find stuff, almost to the point I did not know what I wanted myself.

We meet up with the ANG (Air National Guard) crew at their hotel for drinks and dinner, but after being up for, at this time 38 hours it did not become a very late night. Once my head hit the pillow I was out until my alarm clock rang at 0800. I did manage to talk to my parents on Skype for a few minutes and breakfast at McDonalds (only option close to the hotel). The hotel breakfasts are really expensive here.

1100 am, 15 hours after our arrival we were on our way back to the ice. Some things were learned and I am happy to have gotten the first medevac done. Hopefully I don’t have to wait 9 more weeks for the next one, since this is the job I truly enjoy doing.

Below are some pictures from the flight back.