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Blok B, Slagt C, van Geffen GJ, Koch R. Characteristics of trauma patients treated by Helicopter Emergency Medical Service and transported to the hospital by helicopter or ambulance. BMC Emerg Med 2024; 24:173. [PMID: 39333895 PMCID: PMC11437721 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-01088-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Trauma patients treated by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) can be transported to the hospital either by helicopter or by ambulance, in both cases accompanied by the HEMS physician. The objectives of this study are first to compile an overview of patients treated and transported by the HEMS team with either the helicopter (patients transported by helicopter, PTH) or with the ambulance (patients transported by ambulance, PTA). In addition, to evaluate whether the existing information systems obtain relevant data for researching the decision-making process. The second objective is to identify potentially influencing factors that could be significant for further research. METHODS All patients in the period from 1 January 2011 until 31 December 2020, treated by HEMS and subsequently transported to hospitals were included in the study. To avoid overrepresentation of the PTA group, a random sample was taken, creating two groups in a 1:2 ratio (PTH n = 724, PTA n = 1448). Differences in patient and treatment characteristics between PTH and PTA were compared using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square tests. RESULTS PTH accounted for 12.2% of all transports. Approximately two-third of the patients were male and the mean age was around 40 years. PTH had lower iEMV (initial Eye opening, best Motor response, best Verbal response) and iRTS (initial Revised Trauma Score) scores, were more frequently transported to a level 1 trauma centre, underwent more prehospital treatments and were roughly twice as far from their hospital of arrival compared to PTA. CONCLUSION The current dataset is, after some modifications, suitable to provide a comprehensive overview of patients treated by HEMS in the Netherlands. A predictive model could be developed using this dataset, which should include factors such as the patient's location, age, distance to the hospital, physician on duty, mechanism of injury and overall injury severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas Blok
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Cor Slagt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Geert-Jan van Geffen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca Koch
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Enomoto Y, Tsutsumi Y, Kido T, Nagatomo K, Tsuchiya A, Inoue Y. Association between helicopter medical services for pediatric trauma patients and mortality: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Emerg Med 2024; 85:196-201. [PMID: 39278027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2024.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) have become widespread around the world. However, previous studies of the influence of HEMS on mortality were limited to adult patients only and showed inconsistent and heterogeneous results. This study aimed to examine the association between HEMS and mortality among pediatric emergencies compared to ground emergency medical service (GEMS). METHODS We searched relevant databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and included articles in any language. The most recent search was on January 4th, 2024. We included prospective observational cohort studies or clinical trials that compared HEMS with GEMS in pediatric patients. We excluded any study that did not compare two or more groups of participants. Two pairs of researchers blindly screened studies and evaluated risk of bias using the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool. We conducted this systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Data were extracted by four independent reviewers. We calculated the odds ratio using the random-effects model. The primary outcome was mortality. RESULTS Our search strategy yielded 1454 results. Of these, seven observational studies met our eligibility criteria; no RCT met the criteria. All studies targeted trauma patients only. HEMS was associated with lower mortality (Odds ratio 0.66, 95 % CI 0.59 to 0.74). Inconsistency between trials was determined to be low due to low heterogeneity (I2 = 0 %). In a subgroup analysis conducted with and without physicians on the HEMS staff, we found no significant differences (I2 = 0 %, p = 0.71). CONCLUSION Our systematic review and meta-analysis, which was limited to trauma pediatric trauma patients, revealed that HEMS deployment correlated with decreased mortality. Further research is necessary to more effectively measure the potential influence and applicability of HEMS for pediatric emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Enomoto
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, University of Tsukuba hospital, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yusuke Tsutsumi
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, National Hospital Organization Mito Medical Center, Ibaraki, Japan; Human Health Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Takahiro Kido
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Tsukuba hospital, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kazuki Nagatomo
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Asuka Tsuchiya
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan; Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Inoue
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Marlor D, Juang D, Pruitt L, Cruz-Centeno N, Stewart S, Senna J, Flint J. Factors Associated With Early Discharge in Pediatric Trauma Patients Transported by Rotor: A Retrospective Analysis. Air Med J 2024; 43:37-41. [PMID: 38154838 DOI: 10.1016/j.amj.2023.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) play a crucial role in providing timely transport for pediatric trauma patients. This service carries the highest risk of any mode of medical transport and a high financial burden, and patient outcomes are seldom investigated. This study evaluated the characteristics of pediatric trauma patients discharged within 24 hours after transport by HEMS. METHODS This was a single-center, retrospective analysis on pediatric trauma patients transported by HEMS from 2019 to 2022. Analyses were performed to identify factors associated with discharge within 24 hours. Factors analyzed included vital signs, Shock Index, Pediatric Age-Adjusted scores, management details, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 466 pediatric trauma patients were transported by HEMS, including 171 patients (36.7%) who were discharged within 24 hours. There were no differences in the rates of blunt and penetrating injury (P = .583). Patients discharged within 24 hours were more likely to have a higher Glasgow Coma Scale score (14 vs. 11, P < .001) and a lower Injury Severity Score (4.9 vs. 14.7, P < .001), required less prehospital fluid resuscitation (5.5 vs. 11.7 mL/kg, P = .039), and had higher levels of serum calcium (9.3 vs. 8.9 mg/dL, P < .001). They were also less likely to meet criteria for level 1 trauma activation (13.0% vs. 40%, P < .001) or to require prehospital respiratory support of any kind (4.1% vs. 31.1%, P < .001). After arrival at the hospital, they were less likely to require blood transfusions (2.9% vs. 29.8%, P < .001) or tranexamic acid (2.9% vs. 11.5%, P = .001). CONCLUSION Trauma patients with a high Glasgow Coma Scale score and a low Injury Severity Score who do not require critical care or meet the criteria for high-level trauma activation may be suitable for transportation with lower acuity. Further studies aimed at improving triage and implementing improved criteria for the use of HEMS are paramount.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jack Senna
- Kansas City University School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO
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Greene A, Dion PM, Nolan B, Trachter R, Vu E, Trojanowski J. Overcoming distance: an exploration of current practices of government and charity-funded critical care transport and retrieval organizations. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2023; 31:52. [PMID: 37789319 PMCID: PMC10548638 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-023-01125-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For critically ill and injured patients, timely access to definitive care is associated with a reduction in avoidable mortality. Access to definitive care is significantly affected by geographic remoteness. To overcome this disparity, a robust critical care transport (CCT) or retrieval system is essential to support the equity of care and overcome the tyranny of distance. While critical care transport or retrieval systems have evolved over the years, there is no universally accepted system or standard, which has led to considerable variation in practices. The objective of this mixed-methods study was to identify and explore the current clinical, operational, and educational practices of government and charity-funded critical care transport and retrieval organizations operating across access- and weather- challenged geography. METHODS This study utilized a mixed-methods approach comprising a rapid review of the literature and semi-structured interviews with identified subject matter experts (SME). RESULTS A total of 44 articles and 14 interviews with SMEs from six different countries, 12 different services/systems, and seven operational roles, including clinicians (physician, paramedic, and nurse), educator, quality improvement, clinical governance, clinical informatics and research, operations manager, and medical director were included in the narrative analysis. The study identified several themes including deployment, crew composition, selection and education, clinical governance, quality assurance and quality improvement and research. CONCLUSION This mixed-methods study underscores the paucity of literature describing current clinical, operational, and educational practices of government or charity-funded CCT or retrieval programs operating across access- and weather- challenged geography. While many common themes were identified including clearly defined mission profiles, use of dedicated or specialized transport teams, central coordination, rigorous selection processes, service-sponsored graduate education, and strong clinical governance, there is little consensus and considerable variation in current practices. Further research is needed to identify and harmonize best practices within the CCT and retrieval environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Greene
- British Columbia Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
| | - Pierre-Marc Dion
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brodie Nolan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rob Trachter
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Erik Vu
- British Columbia Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jan Trojanowski
- British Columbia Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kelowna General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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Nielsen VM, Bruun NH, Søvsø MB, Kløjgård TA, Lossius HM, Bender L, Mikkelsen S, Tarpgaard M, Petersen JA, Christensen EF. Pediatric Emergencies in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services: A National Population-Based Cohort Study From Denmark. Ann Emerg Med 2022; 80:143-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Berkeveld E, Sierkstra TCN, Schober P, Schwarte LA, Terra M, de Leeuw MA, Bloemers FW, Giannakopoulos GF. Characteristics of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) dispatch cancellations during a six-year period in a Dutch HEMS region. BMC Emerg Med 2021; 21:50. [PMID: 33863280 PMCID: PMC8052688 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-021-00439-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For decades, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) contribute greatly to prehospital patient care by performing advanced medical interventions on-scene. Unnecessary dispatches, resulting in cancellations, cause these vital resources to be temporarily unavailable and generate additional costs. A previous study showed a cancellation rate of 43.5% in our trauma region. However, little recent data about cancellation rates and reasons exist, despite revision of dispatch protocols. This study examines the current cancellation rate in our trauma region over a six-year period. Additionally, cancellation reasons are evaluated per type of dispatch and initial incident report, upon which HEMS is dispatched. Methods This retrospective study analyzed the data of the Dutch HEMS Lifeliner 1 (North-West region of the Netherlands, covering a population of 5 million inhabitants), analyzing all subsequent cases between April 1st 2013 and April 1st 2019. Patient characteristics, type of dispatch (primary; based on dispatcher criteria versus secondary, as judged by the first ambulance team on site), initial incident report received by the EMS dispatch center, and information regarding day- or nighttime dispatches were collected. In case of cancellation, cancel rate and reason per type of dispatch and initial incident report were assessed. Results In total, 18,638 dispatches were included. HEMS was canceled in 54.5% (95% CI 53.8–55.3%) of cases. The majority of canceled dispatches (76.1%) were canceled because respiratory, hemodynamic, and neurologic parameters were stable. Dispatches simultaneously activated with EMS (primary dispatch) were canceled in 58.3%, compared to 15.1% when HEMS assistance was requested by EMS based on their findings on-scene (secondary dispatch). A cancellation rate of 54.6% was found in trauma related dispatches (n = 12,148), compared to 52.2% in non-trauma related dispatches (n = 5378). Higher cancellation rates exceeding 60% were observed in the less common dispatch categories, e.g., anaphylaxis (66.3%), unknown incident report (66.0%), assault with a blunt object (64.1%), obstetrics (62.8%), and submersion (61.9%). Conclusion HEMS cancellations are increased, compared to previous research in our region. Yet, the cancellations are acceptable as the effect on HEMS’ unavailbility remains minimized. Focus should be on identifying the patient in need of HEMS care while maintaining overtriage rates low. Continuous evaluation of HEMS triage is important, and dispatch criteria should be adjusted if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Berkeveld
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - T C N Sierkstra
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P Schober
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Life Liner One, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L A Schwarte
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Life Liner One, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Terra
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Life Liner One, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M A de Leeuw
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Life Liner One, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - F W Bloemers
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G F Giannakopoulos
- Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Life Liner One, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Trauma Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, 1105, AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Morgan O, Yarham E, Hudson A, Cole E. Do pre-hospital physicians improve mortality in major trauma patients? A systematic review. TRAUMA-ENGLAND 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/1460408620953056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Optimal pre-hospital care systems contribute to improvements in trauma survival. The presence of pre-hospital physicians (PHPs) is reported to increase survival in traumatic brain injury, yet the effects of PHPs on outcomes for all trauma patients is currently unreported. The objective of this systematic review was to compare trauma mortality for patients treated by a PHP with those treated by a non-medical pre-hospital practitioner (NMPHP). Methods A systematic literature search (Medline, Embase, and CINAHL) was performed, on 10th March 2020, to identify original studies comparing the mortality for trauma patients treated by a PHP with those treated by a NMPHP published between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2019. Methodological quality of studies was assessed using Grade of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Results The search revealed 6,296 studies and 14 met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 42,479 patients. Unadjusted mortality suggested a higher mortality for the physician cohort in four studies and no difference in six. However, patients treated by physicians had higher Injury Severity Scores and where adjusted mortality was provided several studies showed a mortality benefit for physicians. Conclusion This systematic review did not demonstrate a mortality benefit from pre-hospital physicians attending major trauma patients. However, those with higher Injury Severity Scores may benefit from the presence of a PHP. Identifying this patient cohort in the pre-hospital setting to ensure appropriate resource use requires further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Morgan
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Elaine Cole
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Tønsager K, Krüger AJ, Ringdal KG, Rehn M. Data quality of Glasgow Coma Scale and Systolic Blood Pressure in scientific studies involving physician-staffed emergency medical services: Systematic review. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2020; 64:888-909. [PMID: 32270473 DOI: 10.1111/aas.13596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency physicians on-scene provide highly specialized care to severely sick or injured patients. High-quality research relies on the quality of data, but no commonly accepted definition of EMS data quality exits. Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) are core physiological variables, but little is known about the quality of these data when reported in p-EMS research. This systematic review aims to describe the quality of pre-hospital reporting of GCS and SBP data in studies where emergency physicians are present on-scene. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed using CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, Norart, Scopus, SweMed + and Web of Science, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Reported data on accuracy of reporting, completeness and capture were extracted to describe the quality of documentation of GCS and SBP. External and internal validity assessment was performed by extracting a set of predefined variables. RESULTS We included 137 articles describing data collection for GCS, SBP or both. Most studies (81%) were conducted in Europe and 59% of studies reported trauma cases. Reporting of GCS and SBP data were not uniform and may be improved to enable comparisons. Of the predefined external and internal validity data items, 26%-45% of data were possible to extract from the included papers. CONCLUSIONS Reporting of GCS and SBP is variable in scientific papers. We recommend standardized reporting to enable comparisons of p-EMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Tønsager
- Department of Research The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation Oslo Norway
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Stavanger University Hospital Stavanger Norway
- Faculty of Health Sciences University of Stavanger Stavanger Norway
| | - Andreas J. Krüger
- Department of Research The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation Oslo Norway
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Services St. Olavs Hospital Trondheim Norway
| | - Kjetil G. Ringdal
- Department of Anaesthesiology Vestfold Hospital Trust Tønsberg Norway
- Norwegian Trauma Registry Oslo University Hospital Oslo Norway
| | - Marius Rehn
- Department of Research The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation Oslo Norway
- Faculty of Health Sciences University of Stavanger Stavanger Norway
- Pre-hospital Division Air Ambulance DepartmentOslo University Hospital Oslo Norway
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