Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Certificate

Summary

This three-day course provides a practical hands-on overview for clinicians seeking to adapt their skills for managing patients in pre-hospital environments e.g. mass gathering medicine, ambulance activity and mountain rescue.

The programme is delivered by consultants specialising in pre-hospital emergency medicine (PHEM) and retrieval medicine. Each day has a distinct theme and begins with an introductory lecture followed by a series of practical and interactive workshops developing on the theme.

This course is run over three days: 

Day 1 – 22 January 2027

The aim of this session is to provide participants with an overall structured approach to prehospital medical emergencies. Using case-based scenarios, based on symptoms rather than diagnosis, core prehospital skills and key knowledge concepts are covered including: the collapsed patient, cardiac arrest management, chest pain, shortness of breath, anaphylaxis, and the seizing patient.

Day 2 – 16 February 2027

Management of major trauma is often challenging given the complexity of injuries involved and with higher prevalence of advancing age the existence of multiple patient co-morbidites. This session focuses on an applying the principles of the primary survey assessment in the prehospital setting through case based scenarios and workshops. Specific topics covered will include head trauma, spinal injury and immobilisation techniques, and musculoskeletal trauma.

Day 3 – 19 March 2027

This session allows participants allows participants to enhance their skills in the initial management of the critically unwell or severely injured child. Candidates are provided an opportunity to revise the principles and skills for the early management and stabilisation of children with life-threatening emergencies in a prehospital setting. The day will also focus on prehospital considerations in approaching and managing a major incident, including a system to manage multi-casualty incidents, pre-event planning, triage, establishing command and control, radio procedure, as well as patient transport considerations.

Suitable for: SHOs in all surgical specialties, emergency medicine doctors.

Learning outcomes

  • Learn and practice a structured approach to pre-hospital medical emergencies.
  • Practice the core skills for basic airway management and cardiac arrest management in a pre-hospital environment.
  • Review and practice algorithms in managing key emergency medicine presentations.
  • Review and apply an adapted primary survey assessment for a prehospital setting.
  • Practice core skills for cervical spine immobilisation, emergency thoracentesis and an approach to thoracotomy, application of pelvic binders and splinting techniques.
  • Understand the implications of reconfiguration of major trauma management in Ireland.
  • Practice key prehospital skills in managing the sick child.
  • Review and practice prehospital care for the obstetric patient.
  • Understand and practice core concepts in approaching major incident management.