Wilderness Rescue in Tasmania with MEDUVENT Standard

When experienced rafter Valdas Bieliauskas became trapped in a crevice on the Franklin River, Ambulance Tasmania began a challenging race against time. His leg was trapped between the rocks in such a way that it was impossible to free him and amputation was ultimately inevitable. MEDUVENT Standard was used during this middle-of-the-wilderness rescue.

Extreme conditions and a river full of dangers

The Franklin River is considered one of Australia’s wildest and most unpredictable rivers. Its steep gorges, rushing currents, ice-cold water, and inaccessible rock formations make it very appealing to adventurers – but a major challenge for EMS field providers.

Multiple teams from Tasmania’s emergency medical services battled the elements, darkness, cold, and exhaustion for many hours. After more than 30 hours in the crevice, it became clear: only the prompt amputation of the leg was going to save the trapped man’s life.

You can view the ABC-documentation of the case here:

Ventilation with MEDUVENT Standard

The underwater amputation was performed without general anesthesia, but with the administration of ketamine, which allowed the patient to continue breathing on his own. However, after successful amputation and rescue from the water, his condition deteriorated rapidly as a result of hypothermia, and ventilation became necessary. When cardiac arrest occurred later on, requiring immediate resuscitation, MEDUVENT Standard was used. The patient was finally transferred to the helicopter and transported to the hospital while resuscitation efforts continued.

The following strengths of the MEDUVENT Standard were particularly evident here:

• Turbine operation: the compact ventilator could be used directly in rough terrain and when winching the patient to the helicopter without a compressed gas supply and, thanks to its rechargeable battery, without an external power supply.
• Rugged and reliable: continuous ventilation was ensured even under the most adverse conditions.
• Lightweight and transportable: a decisive advantage for transporting equipment to hard-to-reach locations.

Find out more about MEDUVENT Standard

Operations such as this demonstrate that medical devices used in emergency rescue situations must meet the highest standards. MEDUVENT Standard was developed for reliable use, particularly in air rescue vehicles, where space, oxygen, and power supplies are limited. Since the ventilator operates with a powerful blower instead of pressurized gas, it does not require oxygen cylinders. The compact design and low weight of only 2.1 kg make MEDUVENT Standard ideal for use by air rescue services, but also in other challenging rescue environments where no external power supply is available.