EN- ROUTE CARE (ERC)

NOTE: Patient packaging with treatment for TIH is a core skill that should be deliberately planned and rehearsed prior to mission execution. A patient packaged for hypothermia prevention/treatment is difficult to access. Medical providers need to be cognizant of this fact and have a plan to monitor their patient’s status as well as their prior medical interventions.

- Ensure hypothermia management from the field is still in place and has not moved and or shifted during turnover. Ensure the hypothermia management system is covering the back and the system is protecting the patient from wind blowing over or under the casualty, especially in a rotary wing environment.
- Use of vehicle or aircraft Environmental Control Systems (ECS) should be used to create an ambient control temperature to allow passive room warming. ECS Systems can be unreliable, especially in rotary wing when power is limited. In preplanning, the ECS can be used to set a warm environment prior to or after receiving the casualty, to prevent drastic temperature loss.
- The use of continuous temperature monitoring should be conducted to establish and track warming trending.
- When moving patients in the maritime environment, doubling up of outer layering impermeable systems should be utilized to protect the patient from winds and sea spray.