The EXtrication In Trauma (EXIT) Project
Patients frequently die and suffer disabilities following Motor Vehicle Collisions (MVC).
Historical methods of caring and removing patients from vehicles after MVC were designed to keep the patient as still as possible at all costs. This approach leads to significant delays in patients receiving optimal and timely care.
This project has scientifically studied multiple elements of post-MVC patient care to inform and change both clinical care and technical rescue, with the aim of reducing worldwide death and disability.
Following a Motor-Vehicle Collision some patients will remain in their vehicles due to injury, the potential for injury or physical obstruction. Extrication is the process of removing injured or potentially injured patients from vehicles. Current extrication practices are based on the principles of ‘movement minimisation’ with the purpose of minimising the incidence of avoidable secondary spinal injury – this approach is not evidence based and may contribute to excess injury and death.
The EXIT project has developed evidence-based guidance for the extrication of patients trapped in motor vehicles . This will be achieved through:
- Describing the injury patterns, morbidity and mortality of patients involved in MVCs (trapped and untrapped).
- Performing biomechanical movement analysis across a variety of extrication methods.
- Determining the perceptions of patients who have undergone vehicle extrication and describe their experiences of extrication.
- Developing consensus-based guidelines for extrication which can be employed by emergency services.