Air-Medical-Transport

Air Medical Transport

Paralleling the association of military learned medicine and advancements in civilian trauma care, air medical transport also casts its origin to military existence. Reportedly during the Siege of Paris (1870), wounded soldiers were transported via hot air balloon for definitive care and by 1936; an organized air ambulance service evacuated the wounded from the Spanish Civil War. Helicopters found their first dedicated medical use during the Korean War. This permitted a means of transport direct from the battlefield as well as a method of moving critically injured solders from field hospitals to more advanced hospital ships. Advancements in the use of air medical travel continued to evolve and by 1969, and in combination with specialty trained medical corpsman, was routinely utilized in Vietnam. This led researchers to conclude that servicemen wounded in battle showed improved rates of survival over motorists injured on California freeways.

Air transport has evolved to become an integral and valuable resource of the present day trauma system. This method of transport enables and often provides more efficient and timely access to definitive care and arguably plays a significant role in reducing associated mortalities of traumatic injury.

Benefit:

Though the overarching benefit of helicopter transport is the ability to travel distances quickly, the Air Medical Crew and resources provide an advanced and more diverse level of care similar to those found within an Intensive Care setting. Due to the diversity of patients encountered, experience required of the Air Medical Crew is diverse and is typically comprised of two members skilled in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine (RN, EMT Paramedic, Respiratory Therapist, and Emergency Medical Technician).

Air Medical Transport and Trauma:

Not dissimilar from cardiac or cerebrovascular emergencies, Survival from traumatic injury is often time sensitive and dependant upon treatment within a specialized hospital (Trauma Center). Helicopter transport is an option in these situations providing rapid transport from either the scene of injury or from hospital to hospital. Appropriately identifying situations and patients for which to use a helicopter is paramount and should be continually benchmarked against specified Air Medical Transport Guidelines. Failure to continually monitor air transport utilization can lead to over and Under Triage. Over triage describes the use in patients minimally injured causing unnecessary economic burdens, taxing of resources and unavailability of the resource in situations where rapid transport could be beneficial. Under triage describes the failure or underutilization of the helicopter in situations most warranted.

Supporting the objectives of Regional Trauma System Development and through incorporation of utilization review practices, data sharing and consistent communication (outreach), the MTAC and its partners strive to ensure proper use of all of its resources.

Air Medical Transport