RSI Study

RSI, or Rapid Sequence Intubation, is a technique used to assist the breathing of patients who are unconscious. After being given specific sedative and paralysing drugs, a tube is placed down the airway of the patient, to help hold the airway open. Previous research has shown that RSI can improve the recovery of patients with severe head injury, compared with other means of airway management.

At the moment in Australia, physicians in Emergency Departments routinely perform RSI, but it is unknown whether patients would benefit from receiving RSI at the scene of the injury, by the Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics. The RSI study is a randomised controlled trial and aims to determine the benefit of prehospital RSI in patients with severe head injury, as performed by the MICA paramedics. All the MICA units in metropolitan Melbourne are involved in the RSI study.

This study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Steering Committee

Dr Stephen Bernard (Metropolitan Ambulance Service)
Kevin Masci (Metropolitan Ambulance Service)
A/Prof Jamie Cooper (Alfred Hospital)
A/Prof Rodney Judson (Royal Melbourne Hospital)

Associate Investigators

Dr Andrew Bacon (Metropolitan Ambulance Service)
Dr Karen Smith (Metropolitan Ambulance Service)
Tony Walker (Rural Ambulance Victoria)
A/Prof Mark Fitzgerald (Alfred Hospital)
Dr John Edington (Bendigo Hospital)
A/Prof David Taylor (Royal Melbourne Hospital)
Dr Darryl Williams (Royal Melbourne Hospital)
Prof Peter Cameron (Monash University)
Prof Jeffrey Rosenfeld (Alfred Hospital)
Lynne Murray (Alfred Hospital)
Prof John McNeil (Monash University)
Dr David Eddey (Geelong Hospital)

Statistical Adviser

A/Prof Paul Myles

Research Coordinators

Emily Mulholland (Monash University)
Vina Nyugen (Monash University)