Handover of accurate standardised information, that is recognised by local medical responders, is essential. An example of an acronym to ensure that this is done is ATMIST:

• Adult or child
• Time that the incident happened and what time the casualty is expected to arrive in the Emergency Department (ED)
• Mechanism: how the incident occurred and mechanism of injury
• Injuries: what injuries have been found - follow a <C> Ac B C D E format
• Signs and symptoms: what signs the casualty is showing (respiratory rate, pulse rate, pallor) and what symptoms the casualty is telling you about (pain, feeling sick, cannot feel their legs)
• Treatment: what treatment have you given (again follow an <C> Ac B C D E format).

Figure 2: Example of an ATMIST handover

When handing over information to medical responders, consider the following:

• Keep the handover brief; aim for 30 seconds to get the information across
• Do not rush the handover
• Use written notes for reference
• Identify the team leader (or the next link in the chain of care) and introduce yourself
• Let the team know if the casualty is awake or not
• Tell them the name of the casualty
• Present accurate and standardised information
• Ask for any questions or points of clarification before handing over the casualty