This page provides information about the current research studies within West Midlands Ambulance Service.
PRESTO
The Pre-hospital Evaluation of Sensitive Troponin (PRESTO) study is part of the NHS’ ambition to find new ways of delivering healthcare more efficiently without the need for hospital treatment. The trial is testing a blood test, which paramedics could use, to determine whether a patient is having a heart attack on scene. The trial, which began on 7th May 2019, is running in Coventry & Warwickshire by paramedics. The Trust will work with Warwick Hospital and University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire. You can find out more here. You can also find out the latest about the study via Twitter by following @PRESTOstudy.
PHECG2
The Prehospital Electrocardiogram 2 (PHECG2) study aims to improve how clinicians decide to perform a diagnostic 12-lead ECG (electrocardiogram – how we trace your heart) on patients. When someone has a suspected heart attack, the ambulance service can test the electrical activity of a person’s the heart to determine the best treatment for them. In a previous project, Professor Tom Quinn and colleagues showed that people who had a special type of test – called a prehospital electrocardiogram, or PHECG – had a better chance of survival. This is a study using routine data and does not involve any changes to patient care. You can find out more here.
MATTS
Currently, patients who require trauma care may be taken by ambulance to a specialist trauma hospital, bypassing their local acute hospital, meaning their care could potentially be further from their home. The Major Trauma Triage Tool Study (MATTS) is a project which aims to better identify patients who will benefit from Major Trauma Centre care. You can find out more here. You can also find out the latest about the study via Twitter by following @MATTS_Study.
PRISM
The Purines for Rapid Identification of Stroke Mimics (PRISM) study will test a device to distinguish patients who have a condition that mimics a stroke. This aims to help these patients stay in their local hospitals, rather than being unnecessarily transferred to a hyper-acute stroke unit which could be some distance away from where the patient lives. You can find out the latest about the study via Twitter by following @999PRISM.
OHCAO
To further improve cardiac arrest patient care, each ambulance service provides data to the National Registry for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes (OHCAO) each month. OHCAO then analyses this data about cardiac arrests and the patient outcomes to see if there are any trends and patterns to establish whether there are any ways to further improve the care we provide from initial bystander care and beyond. You can find out more here.
Golden Hour
The Golden Hour trial is understanding the first 60 minutes of traumatic injury. Whilst we know, from previous studies, that there are immune system changes during the first 60 minute period after traumatic injury, this trial sees our clinicians taking blood samples at the scene of where the injury happpened. This will help us to further understand how severely injured patients respond to trauma and, potentially, help to save more lives. You can find out more here.
RePHILL
The RePHILL (Resuscitation with Pre-Hospital Blood Products) trial is testing whether the use of pre-hospital blood products for patients suffering traumatic bleeding improves outcomes. Critical care teams carry study packs which contain either blood products or saline (which is the standard treatment) and, when treating a patient with a traumatic bleed the patient will receive one of these treatments and their outcome measured. You can find out more here.
