The Effectiveness Evaluation of Helicopter Ambulance Transport among Neurotrauma Patients in Korea

Abstract

ObjectiveHelicopter ambulance transport (HAT) is a highly resource-intensive facility that is a well-established part of the trauma transport system in many developed countries. Here, we review the benefit of HAT for neurosurgical patients in Korea.MethodsThis retrospective study followed neurotrauma patients who were transferred by HAT to a single emergency trauma center over a period of 2 years. The clinical benefits of HAT were measured according to the necessity of emergency surgical intervention and the differences in the time taken to transport patients by ground ambulance transport (GAT) and HAT.ResultsNinety-nine patients were transferred to a single university hospital using HAT, of whom 32 were taken to the neurosurgery department. Of these 32 patients, 10 (31.3%) needed neurosurgical intervention, 14 (43.8%) needed non-neurosurgical intervention, 3 (9.4%) required both, and 11 (34.4%) did not require any intervention. The transfer time was faster using HAT than the estimated time needed for GAT, although for a relatively close distance (<50 km) without ground obstacles (mountain or sea) HAT did not improve transfer time. The cost comparison showed that HAT was more expensive than GAT (3,292,000 vs. 84,000 KRW, p<0.001).ConclusionIn this Korean-based study, we found that HAT has a clinical benefit for neurotrauma cases involving a transfer from a distant site or an isolated area. A more precise triage for using HAT should be considered to prevent overuse of this expensive transport method.

The Dubrava Model—A Novel Approach in Treating Acutely Neurotraumatized Patients in Rural Areas: A Proposal for Management

“…23 Finally, it is worth mentioning that many acutely traumatized patients due to the nature of their injuries are not even able to handle being transported to another hospital or town. It is thus already well-established that patient transfer (both inter- and intrahospital) should be minimized (further reading and more in-depth analyses of different types of patient transfer and management 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 ). Again, the risk of many of these complications can be minimized by the expertise of the transporting team, but these risks are in fact present and pose a serious risk to the patient’s well-being.…”

Time-saving effects using helicopter transportation: comparison to a ground transportation time predicted using a social navigation software

“…[13][14][15][16] If we have the injured patient's "exact address" and the "day and time" when the transportation began, we can predict the distance and time of GEMS by using an open-source navigation software. [17] Since the Medical Emergency Operating Center (MEOC) of the Korean Armed Forces Medical Command provides a helicopter transportation system for military medical welfare and regards it as one of the important military missions or operations, the data on patient location and time can be precisely recorded. [18] By reviewing the records and comparing the data, we can directly calculate "the practical time saved," which may influence the decision on the transportation modalities in clinical settings.…”

Time-saving Effects Using Helicopter Transportation: Comparison to a Ground Transportation Time Predicted Using a Social Navigation Software

“…[12][13][14][15] If we have the injured patient's "exact address" and the "day and time" when the transportation began, we can predict the distance and time of GEMS by using an open-source navigation software. [16] Since the Medical Emergency Operating Center (MEOC) of the Korean Armed Forces Medical Command provides a helicopter transportation system for military medical welfare and regards it as one of the important military missions or operations, the data on patient location and time can be precisely recorded. [17] By reviewing the records and comparing the data, we can directly calculate "the practical time saved," which may in uence the decision on the transportation modalities in clinical settings.…”