Medical device may help reduce road fatalities

The system would provide medical advice and support for the first person to arrive on the scene of a road traffic accident. It would also continuously monitor and record the casualty’s condition before the arrival of emergency services.

The system – which is in its initial stages of development – is likely to be a small hand-held device that could be used by a doctor, nurse or paramedic and would work by gathering and analysing information from a sensor placed on the injured person’s body to measure their vital signs.

It would then ask the first person to arrive at the scene to input key information on the casualty to build a picture of their condition and give advice on the signs they should look for to determine the injured person’s condition and the action they should take to assist.

It would also store information on what has happened at the scene, which could then be passed onto the ambulance crew, then to the hospital, to ensure all crucial information is retained throughout the chain of events.