The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study
Purpose Helicopter transport with medical teams has been proven to be effective, with improvements in patient survival rates. This study compared and analyzed the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of trauma patients transported by doctor helicopters according to whether patients were t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Korean Society of Traumatology
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Trauma and Injury |
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| Online Access: | http://jtraumainj.org/upload/pdf/jti-2023-0074.pdf |
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| author | Myung Jin Jang Woo Sung Choi Jung Nam Lee Won Bin Park |
| author_facet | Myung Jin Jang Woo Sung Choi Jung Nam Lee Won Bin Park |
| author_sort | Myung Jin Jang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose Helicopter transport with medical teams has been proven to be effective, with improvements in patient survival rates. This study compared and analyzed the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of trauma patients transported by doctor helicopters according to whether patients were transferred after a clinical evaluation or without a clinical evaluation. Methods This study retrospectively reviewed data from the Korean Trauma Data Bank of trauma patients who arrived at a regional trauma center through doctor helicopters from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2022. The patients were divided into two groups: doctor helicopter transport before evaluation (DHTBE) and doctor helicopter transport after evaluation (DHTAE). These groups were compared. Results The study population included 351 cases. At the time of arrival at the trauma center, the systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the DHTAE group than in the DHTBE group (P=0.018). The Injury Severity Score was significantly higher in the DHTAE group (P<0.001), and the accident to trauma center arrival time was significantly shorter in the DHTBE group (P<0.001). Mortality did not show a statistically significant between-group difference (P=0.094). Surgical cases in the DHTAE group had a longer time from the accident scene to trauma center arrival (P=0.002). The time from the accident to the operation room or from the accident to angioembolization showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusions DHTAE was associated with significantly longer transport times to the trauma center, as well as nonstatistically significant trends for delays in receiving surgery and procedures, as well as higher mortality. If severe trauma is suspected, air transport to a trauma center should be requested immediately after a simple screening test (e.g., mechanism of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale, or Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma), which may help reduce the time to definitive treatment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ebc05d7cd51b462ca8af388abfedebfe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2799-4317 2287-1683 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Korean Society of Traumatology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Trauma and Injury |
| spelling | doaj-art-ebc05d7cd51b462ca8af388abfedebfe2025-01-16T06:10:17ZengKorean Society of TraumatologyJournal of Trauma and Injury2799-43172287-16832024-06-0137210611310.20408/jti.2023.00741297The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective studyMyung Jin Jang0Woo Sung Choi1Jung Nam Lee2Won Bin Park3 Department of Trauma Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea Department of Emergency Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea Department of Trauma Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea Department of Emergency Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, KoreaPurpose Helicopter transport with medical teams has been proven to be effective, with improvements in patient survival rates. This study compared and analyzed the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of trauma patients transported by doctor helicopters according to whether patients were transferred after a clinical evaluation or without a clinical evaluation. Methods This study retrospectively reviewed data from the Korean Trauma Data Bank of trauma patients who arrived at a regional trauma center through doctor helicopters from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2022. The patients were divided into two groups: doctor helicopter transport before evaluation (DHTBE) and doctor helicopter transport after evaluation (DHTAE). These groups were compared. Results The study population included 351 cases. At the time of arrival at the trauma center, the systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the DHTAE group than in the DHTBE group (P=0.018). The Injury Severity Score was significantly higher in the DHTAE group (P<0.001), and the accident to trauma center arrival time was significantly shorter in the DHTBE group (P<0.001). Mortality did not show a statistically significant between-group difference (P=0.094). Surgical cases in the DHTAE group had a longer time from the accident scene to trauma center arrival (P=0.002). The time from the accident to the operation room or from the accident to angioembolization showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusions DHTAE was associated with significantly longer transport times to the trauma center, as well as nonstatistically significant trends for delays in receiving surgery and procedures, as well as higher mortality. If severe trauma is suspected, air transport to a trauma center should be requested immediately after a simple screening test (e.g., mechanism of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale, or Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma), which may help reduce the time to definitive treatment.http://jtraumainj.org/upload/pdf/jti-2023-0074.pdfwounds and injuriestransportationair ambulancestrauma centers |
| spellingShingle | Myung Jin Jang Woo Sung Choi Jung Nam Lee Won Bin Park The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study Journal of Trauma and Injury wounds and injuries transportation air ambulances trauma centers |
| title | The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study |
| title_full | The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study |
| title_fullStr | The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study |
| title_short | The characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Korea: a retrospective study |
| title_sort | characteristics and clinical outcomes of trauma patients transferred by a physician staffed helicopter emergency medical service in korea a retrospective study |
| topic | wounds and injuries transportation air ambulances trauma centers |
| url | http://jtraumainj.org/upload/pdf/jti-2023-0074.pdf |
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