Trauma Care Conference considers expanding role of paramedics in subspecialty

The 17^th edition of the International Trauma Care Conference took place at the Yarnfield Park Conference Centre in Stone from 17–21 April 2016. The paramedic programme, which took place on 18 April, was one of five programmes that day, yet attracted the highest number of delegates.

The programme started with Dr Minh Le Cong joining the conference from web link to talk about all things pre-hospital ketamine. Le Cong guided the delegates through the various uses and benefits for ketamine in the pre-hospital environment, and informed the audience around both the evidence base and his personal experience of using ketamine in various situations within his retrieval medicine environment. From pain relief to sedation and the treatment of mental illness, Le Kong suggested that ketamine appears to have no bounds, while its safe use was well proven.

Delegates were left questioning whether the use of ketamine should be widespread within the paramedic profession or limited to those paramedics working in specialist fields. However, what was not left in doubt was the role ketamine can and does play in improving patient care in the pre-hospital environment.