Mercia Accident Rescue Service (or MARS) is a BASICS affiliated charity operation based on providing a fast-response, advanced medical team to back up the emergency services of the

English counties The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...

and

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

. The charity aims to provide an organisational framework within which practitioners can be properly trained and equipped to provide prehospital care, its work is supported by local fundraising: https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/10642134.mercia-accident-rescue-service-mars-raising-money-for-ultrasound-machine-to-be-used-at-accident-scenes-across-herefordshire/. MARS is staffed by a team of 11 doctors and two advanced clinical practitioners. MARS responders assist at serious incidents such as road traffic collisions, industrial accidents, drownings, assaults, and critically unwell medical patients.

Equipment Carried

The typical equipment carried by a MARS responder includes: *Basic, intermediate and advanced airway: OP, NP, iGel, COETT, Surgical cricothyroidotomy kits. *Ventilatory support with EtCO2 monitoring: BVM, pressure control, EtCO2, portable ventilator. *Circualtion control: IV access, EZ-IO *Control of bleeding: Torniquets and haemostatic agents such as Hemcon/Celox, nasal haemostats and dental blocks. *Surgical equipment to perform;

thoracostomy A thoracostomy is a small incision of the chest wall, with maintenance of the opening for drainage. It is most commonly used for the treatment of a pneumothorax. This is performed by physicians, paramedics, and nurses usually via needle thoracosto ...

thoracotomy A thoracotomy is a surgical procedure to gain access into the pleural space of the chest. It is performed by surgeons (emergency physicians or paramedics under certain circumstances) to gain access to the thoracic organs, most commonly the hea ...

, amputation *Diagnostic equipment to measure: BP, EtCO2,

SpO2 Oxygen saturation is the fraction of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin relative to total hemoglobin (unsaturated + saturated) in the blood. The human body requires and regulates a very precise and specific balance of oxygen in the blood. Normal arter ...

, Blood sugar, point of care ultrasound machine *A range of medications to provide sedation and analgesia

Notable Individuals

*Prof Gavin Perkins - MBChB, MMEd, MD, FRCP, FFICM, FIMC RCSEd, FERC - Consultant in Critical Care Medicine *Assoc Prof Mr Richard Steyn - MS, MRCGP, DRCOG, FRCSEd, FIMC RCSEd - Past chairman of BASICS *Dr Malcolm Russell MBE, MBChB, DCH, DRCOG, MRCGP, FIMC RCSEd, FRGS *Mr Andrew Thurgood - MSc, DipHS, RGN, FIMC RCSEd - First Consultant Nurse in prehospital emergency medicine in the UK

References

{{reflist Rescue agencies

Equipment Carried

Notable Individuals

See also

References