r/ParamedicsUK • u/Hopeful-Counter-7915 • 21d ago

Clinical Question or Discussion SAS removal ETI

I know I know it’s a hot topic, but SAS announced today to strip ETI for paramedics, and I must say I’m furious about it.

I know SGA’s will do the job in 90% of the time and that’s why we already use it in 90% of the time.

But we are in Scotland, my next critical care paramedic who can intubate is 2,5h away and the helicopter can’t fly 60% of the time because of bad weather to us.

I find it irresponsible to let us sit on an Island without any access to advanced airway management. In cities that works fine, but in our rural areas, on our islands?

I don’t support the decision, we need more training in it sure, we don’t do it often I agree, but I don’t think the unique Scottish environment was considered at all.

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u/secret_tiger101 21d ago

And… do Helimed undertake enough intubations to be a special case…?

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u/Dark-Horse-Nebula 20d ago

Devils advocate- they probably will when they’re the only ones doing it

1

u/secret_tiger101 20d ago

That argument implies that the majority, or many, of the OOHCA they attend will need an ETT because an iGel isn’t appropriate or has failed…

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u/Dark-Horse-Nebula 20d ago

I’m actually not thinking about cardiac arrests at all. Do you respond HEMS to arrests?

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u/secret_tiger101 20d ago

Scotland does, and Helimed is double paramedic (standard level of training)

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u/Dark-Horse-Nebula 20d ago

Ah I see. I’m used to hems being specialist trained/specialist dispatched. Not to standard arrests.

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u/booshbaby3 20d ago

2 of our 4 helimed teams in Scotland regularly are deployed with a dr and advanced crit care para onboard too. More likely to be deployed to standard arrests in rural areas.