Burns patient supports LifeFlight’s trauma training

The LifeFlight critical care doctor who treated a Dalby man badly burned in March this year has praised him for his quick thinking after the incident. 

Greg Larsen ran water from the hose over his body to soothe the burns before LifeFlight aeromedical crews arrived.

LifeFlight critical care doctor Chris Jarvis treated his face, arm and leg burns as the rescue chopper flew him to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital burns unit.

Dr Jarvis said the patient’s trauma training knowledge helped improve his outcome.

“Cooling burns for at least 20 minutes with cold running water is crucial for any burns,” Dr Jarvis said.

Mr Larsen said everyone should learn how to do trauma training, so they know what to do in a medical emergency.

The 47-year-old is now recovered and is advocating for LifeFlight’s free First Minutes Matter training program. The First Minutes Matter program is available on-line and in person and teaches practical skills for time-critical medical situations, so people know what to do while professional help is on the way.

“I want to thank the LifeFlight crew from the bottom of my heart who treated me and flew me to Brisbane,” Mr Larsen said.

“I knew I needed to hose myself down straight away and that helped me significantly. Every senior student in Queensland should learn trauma training before they graduate.

Mr Larsen’s left arm from the elbow to the tips of his fingers was one big blister.

“Dalby Hospital doctors told me without LifeFlight it might have been a very different outcome for me,” he said.

“When I heard LifeFlight was on the way it was a bloody, big relief. I knew at that stage I still had a chance.”

Mr Larsen was tinkering in his shed just before he heard the explosion that started the fire.

“I heard a bang and then I realised the shed was on fire,” he said.

“The fire got bigger and bigger and I kept going in to rescue things and I ended up with severe burns.

“The ambulance paramedics continued to hose me down on the front lawn before I was driven 300 metres up the road to the Dalby Hospital and then LifeFlight arrived.

“I’d seen the LifeFlight helicopter fly over my house early in the morning. I didn’t think that I would be in it later in the day.”

The LifeFlight aeromedical crew checked to ensure he didn’t have airway burns and treated him with analgesia and intravenous fluid resuscitation.

“They were awesome,” Mr Larsen said.

“One minute everything was all good and then next minute, bang, the fire started. Things can change your life in an instant.”

There are still places available in these First Minutes Matter free in-person courses.

Book: HERE

Toowoomba: Friday August 30 at 9.30am at Grand Central Shopping Centre

St George: Monday September 2 at 9.30am at QWCA St George Branch Hall.

Goondiwindi: Tuesday September 3 at 9.30am at Goondiwindi PCYC.

Texas: Wednesday September 4 at 9.30am at Texas Golf Club.

Stanthorpe: Thursday September 5 at 9.30am at Community Development Services, The Granite Belt Neighbourhood Centre. 

Roma: A two-night course on Monday September 9 and Tuesday September 10 from 6pm-9pm both nights and a separate course on Tuesday September 10 at 9.30am at the LifeFlight Roma base.

Cloncurry: Tuesday September 17 at 9.30am at the Cloncurry Community Precinct.

Mt Isa: Wednesday September 18 at 9.30am at the Mt Isa Irish Club.

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