What is Austere Emergency Care (AEC)?
Austere Emergency Care is about pre-hospital emergency and intensive care that takes place outside normal evacuation frameworks with limited access to resources and materials. The main objective is to prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality after serious illness or injury until the patient can be transferred to an appropriate level in the ordinary health service.

Background
In 2013, the US military reassessed its ability to provide medical support to military operations beyond the reach of existing, well-developed medical environments in the areas in which it operated. The recognition that was made was that there was a need to establish a concept for long-term care of critically ill and injured patients in a field environment, which led to the formation of the working group for a new concept named Prolonged Field Care (PFC).

The working group for Prolonged Field Care prepared a robust set of knowledge-based clinical guidelines and medical operating concepts which have since been further developed in line with new knowledge and best practice in the field.

Prolonged Field Care is not an education or a certification, but rather a description of the environment one operates in. As the concept has developed and based on the many experiences gained, it became obvious that there is also a space for this type training also in the civilian pre-hospital environment.

The principles behind AEC
The AEC concept is based on recognized principles for emergency treatment such as TECC. The target group is pre-hospital personnel who, because of their professional practice, may end up in this type of situation, i.e. not ad-hoc or completely improvised. Normally has a time frame of 2-72 hours. Focuses on the recognition and treatment of life-threatening conditions and includes:

• • Emergency Care (TECC)
  • Initial resuscitation
  • Lifesaving procedures
  • Initial medical treatment and pain relief
  • Ongoing treatment and nursing procedures

Who is the target group?
AEC is a concept aimed at health personnel and others who work with medical support in areas where, because of loss of infrastructure or lack of infrastructure, it is not possible to evacuate patients to the ordinary health service for definitive treatment within normal time frames. The course is also suitable for members of search and rescue teams/mountain rescue, personnel involved in humanitarian missions, expeditions and personnel who work on boats and offshore installations and who must look after the seriously and critically ill and injured in a remote location.

How to register for a course
The Austere Emergency Care course is divided into two parts, an Advanced and a Basic level:

The AEC Advanced course is aimed at health personnel who work with medical support in rural areas where, due to a lack of (or loss of) infrastructure, it is not possible to evacuate patients to the ordinary health service for definitive treatment within normal time frames.

The AEC Basic course is aimed at non-health personnel who work with medical support in rural areas where, due to a lack of (or loss of) infrastructure, it is not possible to evacuate patients to the ordinary health service for definitive treatment within normal time frames.

At the bottom of this page, you will find two blue boxes that will take you to the RS Sea Rescue School’s website for registration. Choose either Basic or Advanced depending on your background and level of experience.