Air Medical Transport

Air Medical Transport

• Air medical transport can speed up patient transfer to definitive care, especially for trauma or medical calls
• Factors to consider when deciding to use air medical transport:
  • Patient condition and risk of transport
  • Time savings
  • Resources brought to the patient (e.g., RSI, blood products)

Types of Aircraft

• Rotor Wing helicopters: most frequently used for air medical transport
• Fixed Wing aircraft: used for longer distance transports
• Examples of air medical transport services:
  • Duke's rotor Wing helicopters
  • Fixed Wing service in the upstate

Advantages of Air Medical Transport

• Helps patients receive definitive care within recommended time frame
• Reduces transport time for distant hospitals
• Can provide advanced care and specialized resources
• Decision to use air medical transport should be made early on in patient treatment

Pre-Flight Considerations

• Pre-flight check must be done
• Personnel and gear must be loaded
• Scene landing zone must be established
• Patient must be transferred to the air medical transport crew

Disadvantages of Air Medical Transport

• Patients in cardiac arrest or with per-arrest conditions may not be suitable for air transport due to space limitations
• Weather and terrain can limit or prevent air transport
• Altitude and air speed limitations apply
• Cabin size limitations affect patient size and number of patients transported
• Cost is a factor
• Patient condition may restrict air transport
• Limited number of responders and potential for crash

When to Call for Air Medical Transport

• Patients with time-dependent injuries or illnesses (e.g., trauma, strokes, diving accidents)
• Patients requiring advanced care or specialized resources (e.g., blood products, limb replantation, burn centers)
• Patients who would benefit from quick transport to definitive care

Requesting Air Medical Transport

• Request must be made through dispatch
• Dispatch may ask for patient weight due to helicopter weight limits
• Ground crew may access flight crew on radio frequency
• Factors to consider before requesting air medical transport:
  • Weather
  • Environmental terrain
  • Altitude
  • Air speed limitations
  • Cabin size limitations
  • Cost

Establishing a Landing Zone

• Responsibility of the EMS crew, often with fire and police partners
• Landing zone should be:
  • A hard or cropped grassy level surface
  • At least 60 x 60 ft (100 x 100 ft recommended)
  • Clear of loose debris and overhead hazards
  • Marked with weighted cones or emergency vehicles with headlights facing inward
• Do not use accident tape, people, or flares to mark the area
• Essential personnel only should be present

Safety Considerations

• Be familiar with air medical transport capabilities, protocols, and methods
• Approach the helicopter from the front, between 10:00 and 2:00 positions
• Walk in a crouch position and never approach the helicopter from the rear
• Keep the pilot in view at all times and approach/depart from the front
• Keep a safe distance from the aircraft when it's on the ground
• Never approach the tail of the rotor or vehicle near the tail rotor
• Familiarize yourself with hand signals used by the flight crew

Night Landings and Hazardous Materials Incidents

• Do not shine spotlights or flashlights in the air
• Direct lights towards the ground instead
• Approach the aircraft from the downhill side only on uneven ground
• Do not move the patient to the helicopter until signaled by the flight crew
• Notify the flight crew immediately if it's a Hazmat scene
• Establish the landing zone upwind and uphill from the scene
• Decontaminate patients exposed to hazardous materials before loading into the aircraft

Air Medical Transport

• Speeds up patient transfer to definitive care, especially for trauma or medical calls
• Factors to consider when deciding to use air medical transport:
  • Patient condition and risk of transport
  • Time savings
  • Resources brought to the patient (e.g., RSI, blood products)

Types of Aircraft

• Rotor Wing helicopters: most frequently used for air medical transport
• Fixed Wing aircraft: used for longer distance transports
• Examples of air medical transport services:
  • Duke's rotor Wing helicopters
  • Fixed Wing service in the upstate

Advantages of Air Medical Transport

• Helps patients receive definitive care within recommended time frame
• Reduces transport time for distant hospitals
• Can provide advanced care and specialized resources
• Decision to use air medical transport should be made early on in patient treatment

Pre-Flight Considerations

• Pre-flight check must be done
• Personnel and gear must be loaded
• Scene landing zone must be established
• Patient must be transferred to the air medical transport crew

Disadvantages of Air Medical Transport

• Patients in cardiac arrest or with per-arrest conditions may not be suitable for air transport
• Weather and terrain can limit or prevent air transport
• Altitude and air speed limitations apply
• Cabin size limitations affect patient size and number of patients transported
• Cost is a factor
• Patient condition may restrict air transport
• Limited number of responders and potential for crash

When to Call for Air Medical Transport

• Patients with time-dependent injuries or illnesses (e.g., trauma, strokes, diving accidents)
• Patients requiring advanced care or specialized resources (e.g., blood products, limb replantation, burn centers)
• Patients who would benefit from quick transport to definitive care

Requesting Air Medical Transport

• Request must be made through dispatch
• Dispatch may ask for patient weight due to helicopter weight limits
• Ground crew may access flight crew on radio frequency
• Factors to consider before requesting air medical transport:
  • Weather
  • Environmental terrain
  • Altitude
  • Air speed limitations
  • Cabin size limitations
  • Cost

Establishing a Landing Zone

• Responsibility of the EMS crew, often with fire and police partners
• Landing zone should be:
  • A hard or cropped grassy level surface
  • At least 60 x 60 ft (100 x 100 ft recommended)
  • Clear of loose debris and overhead hazards
  • Marked with weighted cones or emergency vehicles with headlights facing inward
• Do not use accident tape, people, or flares to mark the area

Safety Considerations

• Be familiar with air medical transport capabilities, protocols, and methods
• Approach the helicopter from the front, between 10:00 and 2:00 positions
• Walk in a crouch position and never approach the helicopter from the rear
• Keep the pilot in view at all times and approach/depart from the front
• Keep a safe distance from the aircraft when it's on the ground
• Never approach the tail of the rotor or vehicle near the tail rotor
• Familiarize yourself with hand signals used by the flight crew

Night Landings and Hazardous Materials Incidents

• Do not shine spotlights or flashlights in the air
• Direct lights towards the ground instead
• Approach the aircraft from the downhill side only on uneven ground
• Do not move the patient to the helicopter until signaled by the flight crew
• Notify the flight crew immediately if it's a Hazmat scene
• Establish the landing zone upwind and uphill from the scene
• Decontaminate patients exposed to hazardous materials before loading into the aircraft

Learn about the benefits and considerations of air medical transport, including the types of aircraft used for patient transfer