Life Line Ambulance
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Critical Care Unit

Life Line Ambulance has a Critical Care Unit (CCU) which provides medically appropriate and functionally sound transport for critically ill patients.  This Type III Modular ambulance, which is larger than our standard advanced life support vehicle, is equipped with specialized equipment for monitoring critically injured or ill patients between facilities.  The primary benefit to our customers, patients, and doctors is that the Life Line Ambulance CCU can serve as a cost-effective alternative to air transport for non-emergency patients.

Staffing

Life Line has hand selected and trained the specialty personnel for staffing the CCU.

  • Emergency Medical Technician – Basic (EMT-B).  The EMT-B can provide basic life support services to the patient.
     
  • Paramedic.  The Paramedic can provide Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Cardipulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) services and additional services such as monitoring of patients on a ventilator.
     
  • Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCU-RN).  The CCU-RN can provide nursing services as well as ACLS, PALS, and CCU skills to the patient.

Equipment

The CCU has all the equipment of our Paramedic Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance, such as a drug box, portable and on-board suction, EKG/defibrillator/external pacing and 700-pound-rated power stretcher, plus specialty equipment that includes:

  • LTV 1200 Transport Ventilator with AC-DC rechargeable battery
     
  • Fetal Doppler monitoring
     
  • End Tidal CO2 qualitive mainstream monitor
     
  • Pressure infusers
     
  • IVAC-3, three chambered pumps
     
  • ProPaq monitor with pulse oximetry, ECG, temperature, heart rate, NIBP, AIBP and trending

Communications

  • UHF (EMSCOM) radio system
     
  • VHF radio capabilities

High capacity on-board oxygen supply
Additional space for equipment such as balloon pump and DC to AC power inverter.

The table below describes in more detail the features, benefits and equipment on the Life Line CCU versus an air ambulance.

Equipment:

Feature of Benefit Life Line's CCU Air Ambulance
Pulse oximetry Yes Yes
 Ventilators with assist control,
CPAP,BIPAP*, SIMV modes		  Yes  Yes *BIPAP not available
External cardiac pacing  Yes  Yes
ProPaq with auto NIBP and
IABP monitoring capabilities		  Yes  Yes
Infusion pumps  Yes  Yes
Pressure infusers  Yes  Yes
Cardiac monitors with
12-lead ability		  Yes  Yes
EtCo2  Yes  Yes
Traction devices  Yes  Yes
C-spine stabilization  Yes  Yes
Capabilities for in-transport
delivery of infants		  Yes  Yes
Oxygen, various delivery devices  Yes  Yes
Advanced drugs
(tocolytics, sedatives, anti-emetics)		  Yes  Yes
Space for balloon pump  Yes  *Depends on aircraft size

Staffing:

Feature of Benefit Life Line's CCU Air Ambulance
Specially trained RNs,
EMT-Ps, and EMT-Bs		 Yes Yes

Other Features, Services:

Feature of Benefit Life Line's CCU Air Ambulance
Large patient Yes No
 Any weather conditions Yes No
Abundant room for equipment, patient,
need for professional staff		 Yes No
Isolettes, fetal heart monitors,
umbilical pressure monitors		 No Yes