Aeromedical evacuation of rural victims of nontraumatic cardiac arrest.

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES:

To determine if the deployment of a helicopter-borne nurse/paramedic team contributed to survival of victims of nontraumatic cardiac arrest in a rural setting.

DESIGN:

Retrospective chart review.

SETTING:

A university hospital-based helicopter aeromedical program serving a primarily rural region with a volunteer basic life support/advanced life support ground emergency medical services system.

PARTICIPANTS:

Victims of nontraumatic cardiac arrest, older than 15 years, in cardiac arrest at the time of request for air evacuation.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

Eighty-four patients were identified who met the study inclusion criteria between January 1, 1986, and December 31, 1989. Basic life support care was always available before aeromedical crew arrival; advanced life support care was available in 58% of cases before helicopter arrival. Resuscitative efforts were terminated in the field in 55 cases; of 29 patients transported to the emergency department, only ten (12%) survived to hospital admission. Only one patient (1%) survived to hospital discharge; this patient was resuscitated by ground advanced life support providers before helicopter arrival.

CONCLUSION:

Despite providing improved availability of advanced life support care in some cases, deployment of aeromedical teams had a negligible effect on patient survival from nontraumatic cardiac arrest in a rural setting.

• Authors: G H Lindbeck, D S Groopman, R D Powers
• Journal: Annals of emergency medicine (Ann Emerg Med) Vol. 22 Issue 8 Pg. 1258-62 (Aug 1993) ISSN: 0196-0644 [Print] United States
• PMID: 8333624 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Aircraft
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• Emergencies
• Emergency Medical Services
• Female
• Heart Arrest (mortality, therapy)
• Humans
• Life Support Care
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Retrospective Studies
• Rural Population