Dr. Éric Cesareo, Anesthesiologist-Intensivist and Emergency Physician, SAMU Lyon
How SAMU Lyon, France are working with Tempus ALS and IntelliSpace Corsium for life-saving coordination and sustainability.
SAMU Lyon provides advanced pre-hospital emergency and intensive care response across the Lyon metropolitan area. The service operates from several hospital sites – including Édouard Herriot, Croix Rousse, and Lyon Sud – and with three emergency helicopters.
The challenge: Before adopting Tempus ALS with IntelliSpace Corsium, emergency physicians on scene communicated with the regulating doctor mainly by phone. Vital signs were relayed verbally, and ECG traces were shared via unsecured text messages. Each intervention also required paper-based medical reports. This system, while functional, was slow, error-prone, and insecure. Real-time collaboration between teams in the field and the regulation center was limited, especially for ECG interpretation or complex cases requiring rapid, collective decision-making.
The solution: For the past two years, all SAMU Lyon sites – including Édouard Herriot, Croix Rousse, Lyon Sud, and helicopters – have been equipped with the Tempus ALS monitor/defibrillator with IntelliSpace Corsium informatics solution.
“The Tempus ALS system is robust and reliable. Despite intensive use in every type of weather and environment, we’ve had no hardware failures. It’s also much lighter — around 5 kg compared with 15 kg previously — which makes a real difference when climbing several flights of stairs,” says Dr. Cesareo.
Ease of use and functionality
“The Tempus Pro monitor is intuitive and comfortable to use. We can capture not only screen images but also contextual photos, draw diagrams of injuries or burns, or connect a video laryngoscope. Adjusting screen brightness for daylight is very practical. The Tempus LS defibrillator is perfectly intuitive too, with just three buttons – on/off, charge, shock – and the external pacer works very well. We check the defibrillator every morning; the self-test is quick, and a 15-minute charge is more than enough if the battery is below 93%,” says Dr. Cesareo.
Modularity and flexibility
“At first, we were hesitant about a modular system – we worried that separating the units might cause confusion or forgetting the defibrillator. But in practice, this never happens. We use a bag to keep both devices connected and easy to carry. Now, after two years of daily use, I’d find it hard to go back. In major incidents involving multiple victims, we sometimes separate the two modules to monitor two patients simultaneously until another team arrives. With good organization and experience, modularity has become a real advantage rather than a concern,” explains Dr. Cesareo.
Benefits: Enhanced Safety, Efficiency and Collaboration
- Real-time medical oversight: All four medical regulation posts at SAMU Lyon now have access to live data from IntelliSpace Corsium during every intervention and inter-hospital transport.
“The regulating physician can follow the patient in real time, review ECGs remotely, and support teams immediately if needed. It’s a true step forward in patient safety and responsiveness,” says Dr. Cesareo.
- Seamless data integration and accuracy: Patient data collected through CORSIUM automatically synchronizes with the BISOM application on tablets used by field teams. Pre-hospital reports are transmitted instantly to the SAMU, ensuring traceability and eliminating manual errors.
“We save enormous time and effort – no more handwritten notes or transcription mistakes. All data are secure and complete.” – Dr. Cesareo
- Environmental efficiency: Since implementation, SAMU Lyon has virtually eliminated paper printing for ECGs and reports.
“No more paper rolls to replace or files that get lost. Everything is digital, traceable and archived correctly. It’s better for our teams, our patients, and the environment.” – Dr. Cesareo
Results: Safer, Smarter Emergency Care
- Improved patient monitoring and faster decision-making
- Secure, integrated digital workflows from field to hospital
- Reduced workload and documentation time for clinicians
- Enhanced mobility and comfort for emergency teams
- Sustainable operations with less paper waste
“Thanks to Tempus ALS with IntelliSpace Corsium, we’ve gained speed, accuracy and peace of mind. After using it daily, I can’t imagine going back,” concludes Dr. Éric Cesareo.
