• Ari Jack Buntman and Keith Antony Yeomans.
• Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
• S. Afr. Med. J. 2002 Oct 1;92(10):807-11.

ObjectivesTo assess the difference in survival of trauma patients transported to a trauma unit via either road or air in Johannesburg, South Africa.DesignProspective database analysis.SettingMulticentre study utilising two trauma units.SubjectsThe study evaluated 428 subjects admitted to the two sites.Outcome MeasuresActual survival rates in each group (road and air) were compared with the predicted survival rates.ResultsIn the road group, 38.96 people were predicted to die and 51 actually died, therefore 23.61% (or 12.04 people) died 'unnecessarily', i.e. they died after having been predicted to live. In the helicopter group, 38.15 people were predicted to die and 39 actually died, therefore 0.85 (39-38.15) people were not expected to die. The 0.85 people represent 2.18% (0.85/39) of the total number of dead in the helicopter group who died 'unnecessarily'. Therefore one could argue that introduction of helicopter transport reduces the number of dead by 21.43% (23.61-2.18).ConclusionsPatients with a certain injury severity are more likely to survive if transported by air to a trauma unit.

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