Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Apr 1998
The quick look airway classification. A useful tool in predicting the difficult out-of-hospital intubation: experience in an air medical transport program.
The unpredictable nature of the out-of-hospital care environment poses unique challenges for active airway management techniques. This descriptive study was conducted in the helicopter air medical transport (AMT) environment for a period of 32 months to determine whether initial direct airway visualization classification may provide a useful tool to predict the difficulty of intubation. Data extracted from documented oral intubation attempts included initial airway visualization grade, number of attempts, final airway management method, and procedural complications. ⋯ A statistically significant correlation (Spearman's rho) was found between increasing grade and both the number of intubation attempts (0.52) and the number of complications (0.45). Initial visualization classification may serve as a useful indicator in the out-of-hospital environment to help anticipate the difficulty of intubation and the need for early alternative airway management strategies. In this program, such classification is used to monitor airway management skills.
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Appropriateness of helicopter transport for trauma patient transfer is under closer scrutiny with the development of regionalized trauma systems and managed care. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the 14 Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) guidelines in triaging trauma patients. ⋯ The AAMS transport guidelines for trauma patients accurately predict the potential for serious or life-threatening injury, with the exception of falls and amputations. The rapid access to highly skilled reimplantation teams required by patients with amputations justifies helicopter transport. However, falls greater than 20 feet do not appear to identify potential for life-threatening injury.
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Air medical journal · Jan 1998
A 10-year experience in the use of air medical transport for medical scene calls.
The objective of this retrospective descriptive study was to evaluate the use of air medical services in response to medical scene calls for transport to tertiary care in the rural setting. ⋯ Evacuation of the rural patient with a medical emergency accounts for an extremely small percentage of an air medical service's use. ALS services, including emergency procedures at the scene and rapid transport to a tertiary care, were provided. Seventy-one percent of the flights reviewed required transport to a tertiary care facility, indicating that air medical transport was appropriate. Physician guidelines to ensure effective and cost-efficient use of these services should be developed. Responding for victims in cardiopulmonary arrest appears to provide little benefit with respect to outcome.
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Air medical journal · Jul 1997
Comparative StudyReduced emergency department stabilization time before cranial computed tomography in patients undergoing air medical transport.
Advanced patient stabilization skills provided by air medical providers were hypothesized to result in streamlined emergency department (ED) stabilization of patients with head injuries requiring urgent cranial computed tomography (CCT). The goal of this study was to compare initial ED stabilization times between air- and ground-transported patients requiring urgent CCT and emergency neurosurgical hematoma evacuation. ⋯ This study suggests that advanced patient stabilization offered by air medical transport may result in reduced ED stabilization time for patients requiring urgent craniotomy.