Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Apr 1997
The impact of a helicopter emergency medical services program on potential morbidity and mortality.
The evaluation of the effectiveness of helicopter emergency medical services is currently a major focus of air transport research, and dispatch judgment likely will play a significant role in any research aimed at measuring outcome or impact. ⋯ The results indicate that in 91% of the reviewed cases, helicopter transport was appropriate, representing a reasonable and judicious use of a helicopter emergency medical service.
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Our objective was to study the accuracy of the American College of Surgeons Trauma Triage Scheme in trauma patients transported by helicopter from the scene of injury. ⋯ Physiologic triage criteria alone identify only half of trauma patients with injury Severity Score > 15. Situational criteria are needed to identify most patients with injury Severity Score > 15, but this also captures many patients with minor injury. If the Trauma Triage Scheme situational criteria could be improved, trauma overtriage might be reduced with resultant health care cost savings.
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Air medical journal · Oct 1996
Emergency scene endotracheal intubation before and after the introduction of a rapid sequence induction protocol.
A change in airway management protocol provided the opportunity to evaluate scene airway management by air medical crew before and after the introduction of a rapid sequence induction protocol. ⋯ Rapid sequence induction added significantly to ground time without significantly increasing intubation success rate or decreasing cricothyrotomy rate. Its use at the scene of injury may not be appropriate.
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Air medical journal · Jul 1996
The impact of multiple patient transport on patient care in helicopter emergency medical services.
Many helicopter emergency medical services can transport either one (singles) or two (doubles) patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the additional patient in the doubles flight had an adverse impact on patient care because of the deceased provider-to-patient ratio. ⋯ Only of the two patients during doubles missions was as severely injured as the average patient in a singles transport. The decreased ratio of helicopter emergency medical service crew to patients in doubles missions does not jeopardize patient care because few procedures were performed during either singles or doubles missions.