Advanced Prehospital Trauma Resuscitation With a Physician and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: The Shock Trauma "Go-Team".

OBJECTIVE: The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center (STC) is Maryland's primary adult resource center for trauma care. The Shock Trauma "Go-Team" is a specialized component of Maryland's emergency medical system and is composed of a physician and certified registered nurse anesthetist. They are dispatched when advanced prehospital resuscitation is required. The purpose of this study is to describe the capabilities and historic epidemiology outcomes of the Go-Team.

METHODS: A retrospective case series review of recoverable Go-Team records was performed from 2011 to 2018. Go-Team call logs/records were identified from multiple sources. Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, mechanisms of injury, and treatments in the field. There was a total of 61 activations, with 22 deployments to the scene of injury.

RESULTS: The majority of deployments were via helicopter (73%) and lasted 2 hours. The most common indications for deployment were motor vehicle entrapment (41%), trench collapse (14%), and building collapse (9%). Of the 22 patients treated by the Go-Team, 50% received at least 1 blood transfusion in the field, and 23% required an advanced airway. No field amputations were required.

CONCLUSION: The STC Go-Team is a unique multidisciplinary specialized component of a statewide emergency medical system.