Citation

Hakakian D, Kong K, Bogdanovski DA, Benvenuto A, DiFazio LT, Durling-Grover R, Rolandelli RH, Németh ZH. Air Med. J. 2019; 38(2): 95-99.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ; Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center, NY, NY; Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. Electronic address: Zoltan.Nemeth@atlantichealth.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amj.2018.11.013

PMID

30898290

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Efficient patient transportation by ground emergency medical services (GEMS) or helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) to a trauma center is vital for optimal care. We investigated differences between the modes of transport in terms of demographics, injury, scene location, and outcome. SETTING: Morristown Medical Center (MMC), Morristown, NJ METHODS: All 903 trauma admissions in 2016 by advanced life support (ALS) to MMC, a Level I Trauma Center, were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS: 22% of admissions were HEMS and 78% were GEMS. HEMS patients had higher Injury Severity Scores (ISS) (p<0.001); however, mortality and length of stay were not statistically different. The percentage of pediatric patients transported by HEMS that were discharged home after emergency department evaluation was greater than the older populations (p<0.001). Older age and higher ISS had the largest impact on mortality (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: We believe our current use of HEMS is adequate since patient outcomes between HEMS and GEMS was similar, even though HEMS patients have higher ISS. However, helicopter use in the pediatric population was over-utilized, possibly due to the scarcity of hospitals capable of managing pediatric traumas. Implementation of the Air Medical Prehospital Triage scoring system may also help correct for these unnecessary HEMS transports.

Copyright © 2018 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en