- Training primarily involves the implementation of critical procedures and assessment of a patient who has been injured, whether as a result of a traffic accident, a fire, an act of terror, an attack with dangerous tools or weapons - says Dr. Marcin Podgórski from the Department of Medical Emergency MUW. And he stresses that during training there is a strong emphasis on team communication, teamwork. - There is a designated leader, we have a team with a precise division of roles, and finally defined procedures for communication and action. Such a course teaches patient management patterns, which minimize the risk of overlooking elements that may be crucial to patient safety - Dr. Podgorski concludes.
The cooperation between the universities began with a meeting between Stanislaw Stepkowski from the University of Toledo and Prof. Wojciech Lisik from the Chair and Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Vice Rector of MUW.
- The two universities set up a group to consider how to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression. After discussions with Prof. Lisik and Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, Rector of MUW, we determined that we could help the Ukrainians by teaching them techniques for dressing multi-organ injuries as well as emergency medicine procedures - says Dr. Kris Brickman from The University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences.
The training was conducted in a hybrid format: first an entrance exam, then 13 modules in e-learning format and a test. This was followed by a two-day practical course ending with a theoretical and practical exam at MUW. The training at our university was conducted in two rounds. The first was attended by people working in the Department of Medical Emergency, MUW lecturers and doctors from Chernigov, Ukraine. The second training was attended by doctors and paramedics from the Air Ambulance.
The ATLS are procedures developed in the United States forty years ago and implemented there as well as in some European countries.
- The procedures used in the United States and in Poland are somewhat different, working with Polish colleagues, we not only teach them, but also learn from them. It's a kind of experience exchange - says Dr. Steve Markowiak one of the American trainers from the Department of Surgery at The University of Toledo College of Medicine & Life Sciences.
- As for the Ukrainian trainees, they are internists, pediatricians, doctors of various specialties who do not have training in emergency medicine. The most important thing, therefore, was to teach them cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques, dressing wounds and triage procedures during mass casualties - Dr. Markowiak reports.
The Americans trained a total of 32 medical personnel - 24 from Poland and 8 from Ukraine.
In the next few weeks our already trained specialists will travel to Ukraine and conduct courses there.
