Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Jan 1996
One-way neonatal transports: a new approach to increase effective utilization of air medical resources.
High-risk neonates often require significant stabilization and preparation time for transport. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the institution of a formal neonatal transport policy would increase the effective utilization of air medical resources and to determine whether such a policy would be useful to other air medical transport programs. ⋯ The neonatal team transport policy has increased the effective utilization of air medical resources in this program. This policy could have wider application for other programs as well.
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Air medical journal · Jan 1996
Comparative StudyA comparison of pediatric and adult trauma patients transported by helicopter and ground EMS: managed-care considerations.
There is a paucity of data comparing injured pediatric patients transported by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) with patients transported by ground ambulance. The purpose of this study was to compare HEMS pediatric trauma patients to: 1) pediatric patients transported by ground to an urban level-1 trauma center (TC), and; 2) a similar cohort of adult patients. The managed-care consequences of these comparisons are highlighted. ⋯ Pediatric patients transported by HEMS were as severely injured as those transported by ground, in contrast to adult patients. We conjecture that since trauma triage schemes classically focus on adults, ground personnel are more selective about which patients are flown to a TC, and less selective for pediatric patients. Trauma centers and HEMS programs should develop pediatric trauma triage protocols that do not overemphasize physiologic parameters.