Greater Sydney Area HEMS

Hello, and welcome back to the Sydney HEMS debrief, focus on cardiac arrest.

This is episode 3, and today it is all about ventilation during arrest. It is time to put the P back into CPR. Ventilation has been neglected in cardiac arrest management, and this two part episode focuses on how ventilation can not only help achieve a ROSC but the importance of ventilation too in achieving neurologically intact survival

We are delighted to be joined by an absolute expert in this area, Dr Hans van Schuppen from Holland.

Hans is an anesthesiologist and HEMS physician at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Hans is a combined researcher, clinician and leader. He is an ERC Advanced Life Support Course Director, co-founder of the ResusNL conference, member of the expert group on national ambulance guidelines on resuscitation and is a member of the jury of the Dutch National Resuscitation Competition. As a member of the Dutch Resuscitation Council, he co-authored the national resuscitation guidelines, and helped to develop and implement a nationwide standard operating procedure for the handover of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Currently, Hans is the chair of the Medical Committee and board member of the Dutch Resuscitation Council. His research evolved into a formal PhD with the ARREST (AmsteRdam REsuscitation STudies) group and the department of Anesthesiology, resulting in his thesis “Prehospital Advanced Life Support”. He now serves as director of resuscitation science of ARREST and works towards close collaboration between clinical care, education, research and innovation in resuscitation.

We could not stop talking to Hans, so please tune back in next week for the second half of our conversation.

We are delighted to be sponsored by Corpuls - delivering high-tech and innovative equipment for emergency and intensive care medicine for over 35 years.

Hello, and welcome back to the Sydney HEMS debrief, focus on cardiac arrest.

This is episode 3, and today it is all about ventilation during arrest. It is time to put the P back into CPR. Ventilation has been neglected in cardiac arrest management, and this two part episode focuses on how ventilation can not only help achieve a ROSC but the importance of ventilation too in achieving neurologically intact survival

We are delighted to be joined by an absolute expert in this area, Dr Hans van Schuppen from Holland.

Hans is an anesthesiologist and HEMS physician at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Hans is a combined researcher, clinician and leader. He is an ERC Advanced Life Support Course Director, co-founder of the ResusNL conference, member of the expert group on national ambulance guidelines on resuscitation and is a member of the jury of the Dutch National Resuscitation Competition. As a member of the Dutch Resuscitation Council, he co-authored the national resuscitation guidelines, and helped to develop and implement a nationwide standard operating procedure for the handover of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Currently, Hans is the chair of the Medical Committee and board member of the Dutch Resuscitation Council. His research evolved into a formal PhD with the ARREST (AmsteRdam REsuscitation STudies) group and the department of Anesthesiology, resulting in his thesis “Prehospital Advanced Life Support”. He now serves as director of resuscitation science of ARREST and works towards close collaboration between clinical care, education, research and innovation in resuscitation.

We could not stop talking to Hans, so please tune back in next week for the second half of our conversation.

Hello, and welcome back to the Sydney HEMS debrief, focus on cardiac arrest.

In the second episode of this series, we talk to Dr Tommaso Scquizatto from Milan, Italy.

Tommaso is a Doctor, researcher and innovator in cardiac arrest, resuscitation, and emergency critical care medicine. He works in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, Italy, where he leads cardiac arrest research and innovation.

His clinical and research efforts focus on improving the entire chain of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, from prevention to advanced resuscitation, including the use of extracorporeal life support and novel technologies. He serves on the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and the 2025 Guidelines Working Groups for BLS, ALS, and extracorporeal CPR of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). He is also an editorial board member and social media editor for Resuscitation and Resuscitation Plus.

With Tommaso in this episode, we talk about targeted physiology in cardiac arrest included targeted diastolic blood pressure, Tommaso’s research, and how systems and workflows may adapt to incorporate new intra-ACLS interventions such as transoesophageal ECHO.

We hope you enjoy the episode, please be sure to hit subscribe and tune back in next week.

We are delighted to be sponsored by Corpuls - delivering high-tech and innovative equipment for emergency and intensive care medicine for over 35 years.

Hello, and welcome back to the Sydney HEMS debrief, focus on cardiac arrest.

This is the first in a series of podcasts dedicated entirely to cardiac arrest, the physiology driving the clinical presentation and how we can more effectively use physiological principles and basic science to underpin clinical care and research. 

In this week’s episode, we have the privilege of talking with Dr Paul Rees.

Who better to talk all things myocardial perfusion and it’s optimisation during cardiac arrest than an interventional cardiologist and pre-hospital physician. Paul explains the physiology of cardiac arrest from an interventional cardiologist perspective as we ask him the hard questions on:

We hope you enjoy this episode, please contact Sam or Nat if you have any comments or questions.

Hello, and welcome back to the Sydney HEMS debrief, focus on cardiac arrest.

This is the first in a series of podcasts dedicated entirely to cardiac arrest, the physiology driving the clinical presentation and how we can more effectively use physiological principles and basic science to underpin clinical care and research. 

In this week's episode, we have the privilege of talking with Dr Paul Rees.

Who better to talk all things myocardial perfusion and it’s optimisation during cardiac arrest than an interventional cardiologist and pre-hospital physician. Paul explains the physiology of cardiac arrest from an interventional cardiologist perspective as we ask him the hard questions on:

We hope you enjoy this episode, please contact Sam or Nat if you have any comments or questi

Hello, and welcome back to the Sydney HEMS debrief!

Today, we are launching a mini-series focused on Cardiac Arrest.

Following the application of pre-hospital ECMO for refractory cardiac arrest in Sydney (the PRECARE study), we are taking a deep dive into some of the other global emerging research, management strategies and interventions being considered for cardiac arrest patients.

Join us for this multi-part series as we chat with world leading researchers and clinicians who are at the forefront of cardiac arrest debate, as we consider how we can best serve this diverse and heterogeneous patient group.

Throughout the series, Dr Samuel Bulford (Sydney) and Dr Natalie Kruit (Sydney) will be joined by guests from around the world, covering topics including but not limited to:

Guests include Prof Laurie Morrison (Toronto), Dr Paul Rees (London), Dr Hans van Schuppen (Amsterdam), Dr Felipe Teran (NYC) and Dr Tommaso Scquizzato (Milan) to name but a few.

It is time to get excited about cardiac arrest again, so tune in to learn how we can together improve patient outcomes, team performance and contribute to cutting-edge medicine.

Be sure to hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts – episode one coming out tomorrow!

Hello and welcome back to The Sydney HEMS Debrief, episode 15!

It has been a while since our last episode, and today we are back with the Pre-Care team to discuss this world-leading trial. Joining us are Nat, Jackie, Andrew and Pete. Together, we will discuss the experiences of clinicians involved in this trial, specifically highlighting the importance of maintaining good ALS prior to the arrival of, as well as during the presence of, the pre-care team as well as how the pre-care trial is impacting attitudes towards cardiac arrest management across the greater workforce. We discuss some of the emerging practices regarding a personalised approach to cardiac arrest management, and we reflect on the broader benefits of this unique and fascinating trial.

I certainly hope you enjoy it!

Welcome back to The Sydney HEMS Debrief, now on episode 14!

Today, we are joined by Retrieval and Anaesthetic Staff Specialist Dr Jess Devlin, who talks us through one of her most challenging and rewarding cases. Using the case as a springboard, we go on to discuss some of the nuances around, and approaches towards, multi-casualty scenes and consider how to make sense of an overwhelming situation and perform effectively within it.

This episode is certainly a must listen for any clinician who may be faced with a multi-casualty, multi-agency situation, and who wants to function effectively and safely with in.

I sure hope you enjoy!

Welcome back to The Sydney HEMS Debrief, now on episode 13.

Today we are talking about the PreCare trial, currently underway here in Sydney. This feasibility trial – a first for Sydney – concerns placing patients suffering out of hospital cardiac arrest onto potentially life-saving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy in the field, before transporting them to definitive care.

To discuss more, we are joined again by Dr Nat Kruitt, Staff Specialist here at Sydney HEMS and Specialist in Cardiac Anaesthesia and ECMO, as well as Alex Peters, one of the Sydney HEMS Critical Care Paramedics. We will discuss how and why the trial came about, the practical application and workflow considerations of placing an eligible patient onto pre-hospital ECMO, as well as some future considerations for this innovative therapy.

This episode is a must listen for other pre-hospital providers in the greater Sydney basin who may come into contact with the ECMO team, as well as those interested in eCPR and ECMO more broadly.

I hope you enjoy it!

Welcome back to The Sydney HEMS Debrief. After an extended New Year break, we return with episode 12.

We are joined this week by Sydney HEMS Staff Specialist Dr Ian Ferguson. Ian is the lead author on a recently published randomised control trial assessing the haemodynamic effects of adding fentanyl to an induction regime of ketamine and rocuronium for rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department. This multicenter study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, has yielding some thought-provoking results, and may change your in- or out-of-hospital anaesthesia practice in future.

Join us here in episode 12 to hear it live from chief investigator himself.

Below is a link to the full and free text:

Fentanyl versus placebo with ketamine and rocuronium for patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department: The FAKT study-A randomized clinical trial

Ferguson I, Buttfield A, Burns B, Reid C, Shepherd S, Milligan J, Harris IA, Aneman A; Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Clinical Trials Network. Fentanyl versus placebo with ketamine and rocuronium for patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation in the emergency department: The FAKT study-A randomized clinical trial. Acad Emerg Med. 2022 Jun;29(6):719-728. doi: 10.1111/acem.14446. Epub 2022 Mar 15. PMID: 35064992; PMCID: PMC9314707.

Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9314707/