title: [Medical Emergency Preparedness in offshore wind farms : New challenges in the german north and baltic seas].
abstract: Offshore windfarms are constructed in the German North and Baltic Seas. The off-coast remoteness of the windfarms, particular environmental conditions, limitations in offshore structure access, working in heights and depths, and the vast extent of the offshore windfarms cause significant challenges for offshore rescue. Emergency response systems comparable to onshore procedures are not fully established yet. Further, rescue from offshore windfarms is not part of the duty of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Organization or SAR-Services due to statute and mandate reasons. Scientific recommendations or guidelines for rescue from offshore windfarms are not available yet. The present article reflects the current state of medical care and rescue from German offshore windfarms and related questions. The extended therapy-free interval until arrival of the rescue helicopter requires advanced first-aid measures as well as improved first-aider qualification. Rescue helicopters need to be equipped with a winch system in order to dispose rescue personnel on the wind turbines, and to hoist-up patients. For redundancy reasons and for conducting rendezvous procedures, adequate sea-bound rescue units need to be provided. In the light of experiences from the offshore oil and gas industry and first offshore wind analyses, the availability of professional medical personnel in offshore windfarms seems advisible. Operational air medical rescue services and specific offshore emergency reaction teams have established a powerful rescue chain. Besides the present development of medical standards, more studies are necessary in order to place the rescue chain on a long-term, evidence-based groundwork. A central medical offshore registry may help to make a significant contribution at this point.
authors.affiliation: Abt. für Anästhesie, Intensiv-, Rettungs- und Schmerzmedizin, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Bergedorfer Straße 10, 21033, Hamburg, Deutschland. m.stuhr@buk-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stuhr
authors.affiliation: Labor für Biomechanik, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dethleff
authors.affiliation: Labor für Biomechanik, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weinrich
authors.affiliation: Abt. für Unfallchirurgie, Orthopädie und Sporttraumatologie, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.|Chirurgische Klinik, Israelitisches Krankenhaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Abt. für Unfallchirurgie, Orthopädie und Sporttraumatologie, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hory
authors.affiliation: Labor für Biomechanik, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kowald
authors.affiliation: Labor für Biomechanik, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.|Abt. für Unfallchirurgie, Orthopädie und Sporttraumatologie, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seide
authors.affiliation: Abt. für Anästhesie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie, Asklepios Klinikum Harburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerner
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Campus Lübeck, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nau
authors.affiliation: Labor für Biomechanik, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.|Abt. für Unfallchirurgie, Orthopädie und Sporttraumatologie, BG Klinikum Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jürgens
mesh_terms: D002959:Civil Defense / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006801:Humans; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011210:Power Plants; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D014919:Wind
keywords: Air rescue; First aid; Health services research; Maritime emergency medicine; Offshore wind energy