Emergent interfacility evacuation of critical care patients in combat
| Autor: | Robert A. De Lorenzo, Yvonne E. Franco, Steven W. Salyer |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Patient Transfer
Warfare Combat support Critical Care business.industry Staffing Poison control Air Ambulances Emergency Nursing medicine.disease Suicide prevention Occupational safety and health Injury prevention Emergency Medicine medicine Humans Medical emergency business Stroke Flight medic Iraq War 2003-2011 |
| Zdroj: | Air medical journal. 31(4) |
| ISSN: | 1532-6497 |
| Popis: | During the Second Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom), high-intensity, low-utilization medical and surgical services, such as neurosurgical care, were consolidated into a centralized location within the combat zone. This arrangement necessitated intra-theater air medical evacuation of critically ill or injured patients from outlying combat support hospitals (CSH) to another combat zone facility having the needed services. A case series is presented of intratheater transfer of neurosurgical patients in Iraq during 2005-06. Ninety-eight patients are included in the series, with typical transfer distances of 40 miles (approximately 20–25 minutes of flight time). All patients were transported with a CSH nurse in addition to the standard Army EMT-B flight medic. Seventy-six percent of cases were battle injury, 17% were non-battle injuries, and the balance were classified as non-injury mechanisms. Seventy-six percent of cases were head injuries, with the balance involving burns, stroke, and other injuries. At 30 days, 12% of the patients had died, and 9% remained hospitalized in a critical care setting. None of the patients died during evacuation. Intratheater and interfacility transfer of critical care patients in the combat theater often involves severely head-injured and other neurosurgical cases. Current Army staffing for helicopter transport in these case requires a nurse or other advanced personnel to supplement the standard EMT-B flight medic. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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