Air medical journal
-
Transport of injured patients directly from a scene to a trauma center improves survival of patients and shortens their length of stay in the hospital. This paper studies the relationship between education presentations to prehospital personnel and scene call volume. The education sessions emphasize safety issues and how, when, and why to call for air medical transport. ⋯ Prehospital provider education programs increase scene call volume, but this effect seems to last for three months. On a town-by-town basis there are many other determinants of scene call volume.
-
Air medical journal · Aug 1993
Comparative StudyTrue costs of air medical vs. ground ambulance systems.
The economic model created in this paper replaces the existing University of Massachusetts Medical Center's New England Life Flight (NELF) helicopter ambulance service with a ground ambulance system to investigate comparative costs. The model is based on a less than 30-minute response time to the patient, similar medical team staffing and equal service area. ⋯ The comparison finds that the commonly held notion that condemns helicopters as an excessively expensive technology for patient transport is incorrect. Future research to address intermediate alternatives using similar analytical technology assessment techniques is recommended.
-
Air medical journal · Jul 1993
Comparative StudyA comparison study of chest tube thoracostomy: air medical crew and in-hospital trauma service.
Chest tube thoracostomy (CTT) is not frequently performed by non-physician-staffed air medical crews (AMC) due to concern regarding safety, efficiency and training requirements. This study compared two groups of patients requiring CTT, one group with insertion performed by an AMC and the other by a physician trauma service (TS) in the emergency department on patient arrival. The CTT of 172 patients managed at a Level I trauma center between October 1988 and September 1990 were reviewed. ⋯ The study compared the patients' Injury Severity Scores (ISS), and trauma scores, any placement complications and the overall mortality. While the AMC often treated patients with higher acuity, as reflected by ISS and trauma scores and overall higher mortality, the rate of complications between CTT performed by AMC and TS was similar. Appropriately trained AMC can safely perform CTT without putting patients at increased risk.
-
The study objective was to determine if pulse oximetry readings obtained during helicopter transport were indicative of subsequent arterial blood-gas measured saturations. A prospective study design was chosen. Data were gathered on a convenience sample of patients 18 years and older not under cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 101 patients were used for the study. ⋯ There was also no significant difference between the patient's heart rate sensed by the pulse oximeter and the simultaneous palpated pulse rate. Percent saturation readings by repeated measures were statistically different (p < 0.05) showing a minimal improvement in saturation over time. Based on this study's findings, the authors feel the pulse oximeter can be a valuable adjunct to patient care during helicopter transport.