• Mary H Wirtz, C Gene Cayten, Deborah A Kohrs, Rob Atwater, and Erik A Larsen.
• New York Medical College, SUNY Rockland Community College, NY, USA.
• Air Med. J. 2002 Jan 1;21(1):17-21.

IntroductionA wide variety of opinions exist about using paramedics on flight teams, most of which have not been substantiated by research findings. This study was conducted to explore the outcomes of patients transported by helicopter crews that consisted of either two nurses or a nurse and a paramedic.MethodsUsing data from the New York State Trauma Registry and prehospital care reports, a retrospective comparison was made between the outcomes of 1193 air medical patients transported either by crews consisting of two nurses (N/N) or a nurse and a paramedic (N/P). The sample included blunt and penetrating trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score greater than or equal to 9 and who were older than 16 years.ResultsThe findings indicate the percentages of patients who lived, died, or were discharged home or to rehabilitation were similar for N/P and N/N groups. Using TRISS methodology and the Z statistic, no statistically significant difference was found in observed versus predicted mortality for both groups (P <.05).ConclusionNo significant difference existed in patient outcomes between N/P and N/N crews.

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