6 Colo. Code Regs. § 1015-4-101

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, June 10, 2024
Section 6 CCR 1015-4-101 - Prehospital Care
1. Prehospital Algorithms
A. Adult patients: Scene transport for adults with trauma or suspected trauma shall be in accordance with national best practice guidelines, the algorithm found in Exhibit A of these rules, and applicable RETAC protocols.
B. Pediatric patients: Scene transport for pediatric patients with trauma or suspected trauma shall be in accordance with national best practice guidelines, the algorithm found in Exhibit B of these rules, and applicable RETAC protocols.
2. Facility Divert Status
A. Facilities may go on to divert status for the following reasons:
(1) Lack of critical equipment
(2) Operating room saturation
(3) Emergency department saturation
(4) Intensive care unit saturation
(5) Facility structural compromise
(6) Internal/external disaster
(7) Lack of equipment/staff necessary to safely and adequately care for the trauma patient.
B. When a trauma center is on divert status, destination of the trauma patient shall be in accordance with the prehospital trauma triage algorithms (Exhibits A and B).
C. Trauma facilities must keep a record of times and reasons for going on divert status for at least 3 years. This information must be made available for RETAC and/or department audit upon request.
D. Trauma facilities must notify impacted EMS agencies and impacted local facilities of divert status in a manner consistent with RETAC protocols.
3. Bypass for Trauma Patients
A. At times, the best interests of the patient and the prehospital trauma triage algorithms (Exhibits A and B) may require that prehospital providers bypass the nearest facility to transport the patient to a higher level trauma center of specialty care.
B. Whether bypass is necessary must initially be determined by the criteria in the algorithms. However, deviations from the algorithms may occur due to the patient's emergency conditions, excessive transport time to the nearest trauma center, specific medical direction, or if it is determined that air transport is the most appropriate option for the patient.
4. Advisory for Trauma Patients

The trauma facility may issue an advisory when it is experiencing specific resource limitations but is able to accept trauma patients who do not require the limited resource. Ambulance agencies are advised to consider transport to other trauma facilities as time and conditions allow for patients impacted by the specific advisory.

6 CCR 1015-4-101

39 CR 02, January 25, 2016, effective 2/14/2016
40 CR 08, April 25, 2017, effective 5/15/2017
41 CR 22, November 25, 2018, effective 12/15/2018
42 CR 10, May 25, 2019, effective 6/14/2019
43 CR 09, May 10, 2020, effective 6/14/2020
44 CR 10, May 25, 2021, effective 7/1/2021