• N Clay Mann, Kerrie A Pinkney, Daniel D Price, Donna Rowland, Melanie Arthur, Jerris R Hedges, and Richard J Mullins.
• Intermountain Injury Control Research Center, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA. clay.mann@hsc.utah.edu
• Acad Emerg Med. 2002 Jul 1;9(7):694-8.

ObjectivesThis study evaluated variation in mortality among interfacility transfers three years before and after discontinuation of a rotor-wing transport service.MethodsA retrospective cohort assessment was conducted among severely injured patients transferred from four rural hospitals to a single tertiary center in regions with continued versus discontinued rotor-wing service. Thirty-day mortality following discharge from the receiving tertiary facility served as the primary outcome measure.ResultsDiscontinuation of rotor-wing transport decreased interfacility transfers and increased transfer time. Transferred patients were four times more likely to die after (compared with before) rotor-wing service was discontinued (p = 0.05). No difference was noted in the region with continued rotor-wing service [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, p = 0.47].ConclusionsInjury mortality increased with loss of air transport for interfacility transfer in a rural area.

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