Rapid response doctor cars for cases of severe trauma in remote locations: A life saved owing to cooperation between a doctor car and a physician from a local medical facility / Journal of Rural Medicine

ABSTRACT

<b>Objective:</b> Rescuing severe trauma patients who are injured far from a trauma center is challenging for rural emergency systems. We report a severe trauma case that occurred at a remote location, in which the patient’s life was saved by a dispatched doctor car and a physician from a local medical facility.<br><b>Patient:</b> A 31-year-old man experienced a left femur injury due to a fallen tree. The fire station requested a doctor car from our center, approximately 56 km away. Meanwhile, a paramedic team reported that the patient was in a state of shock. The doctor car docked over 1 h after the accident. Pressure hemostasis, rapid intravenous infusion, and tracheal intubation were performed en route. After arrival at our hospital, an emergency blood transfusion was administered; the injured blood vessel was sutured and the wound closed. On day 22, the patient was transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation.<br><b>Discussion:</b> Rapid response-type doctor car is often considered ineffective for distant severe trauma cases. However, this case demonstrates the benefits of a doctor car working with local medical facilities.<br><b>Conclusion:</b> The rapid response-type doctor car is effective even in remote severe trauma cases.