Immediate Emergency Care Advanced (iec-a) Trauma Course

he IEC course is the most advanced, up to date trauma course currently available to non-health care professionals in the UK.

The aim of the course is to reduce preventable pre-hospital deaths by training candidates to identify and treat life-threatening emergencies and prepare casualties for rapid evacuation to Hospital. It is tailored for those who work in the most demanding of environments and includes specific modules for road traffic collisions, burns, suspension trauma and crush injuries.

The syllabus includes:

• Kinematics –

How to perform a ‘SAFE’ approach and predict injury based on the evidence of forces and motion as derived from the accident scene.
• Catastrophic bleeding – Learn to identify both internal and external haemorrhaging and apply suitable treatment such as tourniquets and haemostatic agents.
• Airways – Develop skills in identifying and managing airway problems, including use of OP/NP and I-GEL™ airways.
• Breathing – Study serious chest injuries and their management, including the use of chest seals.
• Circulation – Examine how the circulatory system works and how to identify and treat shock.
• Disability – Identify and treat head injuries and prevent secondary brain injury.
• Extremity Trauma – Identify and treat fractures and soft tissue injury using a wide range of splints and slings.
• Burns – Understand the different types, severity, and treatment of burns.
• Suspension and Crush injuries – Recognition of the severity of suspension trauma, crush injuries and reflow syndrome and management of these conditions.
• Paediatric Trauma – Recognise the difference between adult and child injuries, and adapt treatment methods for children.
• Packaging and evacuation – Learn the different ways of packaging casualties for rapid evacuation, and choose appropriate extrication and transport equipment for time-critical patients including long-boards, vacuum mattresses, scoop-stretchers and speed-boards.
• Special Circumstances – Discuss adaptations for treatment for pregnant patients or victims of drowning or poisoning.
• Triage – Understand major incident issues, prioritising and management of multiple casualties.
• CPR and AEDs – Learn the Resus Council 2010 CPR guidelines and the safest and most effective way to use AEDs.
• Medical Gasses – Understand the physiology of respiration and the indications and contradictions for oxygen and entonox therapy.