Characteristics of patients who received helicopter emergency medical services in Japan from 2012 to 2019: a retrospective analysis of data from Tochigi Prefecture

Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Patients Requiring Tracheal Intubation by Helicopter Emergency Medical Services: A Retrospective, Single-Center, Observational Study

Background/Objectives: The impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on patients using helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) regarding tracheal intubation and patient management remain unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate this matter in Japan. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, we analyzed 2277 patients who utilized HEMS in Tochigi Prefecture during 2018-2022. We included only patients who required tracheal intubation. We categorized patients from February 2020 to January 2022 in the pandemic group and those from February 2018 to January 2020 in the control group. We compared the interval from arrival at the scene to leaving the scene (on-scene time) and secondary variables between the two groups. Results: A total of 278 eligible patients were divided into the pandemic group (n = 127) and the control group (n = 151). The on-scene time was lower during the pandemic than that before (25.64 ± 9.19 vs. 27.83 ± 8.74 min, p = 0.043). The percentage of patients using midazolam was lower (11.8% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.02) and that of patients using rocuronium bromide was higher (29.1% vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001) during the pandemic. In contrast, the type of intervention other than tracheal intubation and the type of transportation to the hospital did not differ between the groups. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with changes in the mission time of and the frequency of certain drugs administered by the HEMS. However, the type of intervention and the type of transportation did not differ. Further research is needed on changes in patient prognosis and condition due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helicopter Ambulance Transport to the Emergency Department: Demographic and Clinical Factors Impacting Outcomes in a Turkish Medical Center

BACKGROUND Helicopter ambulances (HAs) are a significant component of pre-hospital emergency medical services. This study presents a report on the demographic and clinical factors associated with transport to the emergency department (ED) by HA of 161 patients to a single center in Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS Demographic data, diagnoses in arriving center's ED, transferred distance, and outcomes of 161 patients transferred by HAs between March 01, 2019 and May 31, 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. Mortality rates of the cases were compared both with age and according to the distance traveled within the diagnostic groups. RESULTS There were 134 patients (83.2%) with internal diseases, and cardiovascular diseases were the leading cause (68 patients, 41.6%); 27 patients (16.7%) were transferred due to trauma. The mean distance traveled with HAs was 167.1 km (range, 47.0-1316.0) and the median transfer time was 50 min. The most common form of hospitalization after ED arrival was intensive care hospitalization (n=78, 48.4%). Mortality increased as the transfer distance increased in elderly patients, as well as those with a cardiac or trauma-related diagnosis (P=0.015, P=0.044, P=0.028, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Most patients transferred by HA had severe disease. ED physicians dealing with patient transfer by HAs should be prepared for severe cases, both in the HA and in the ED. HAs may be preferred when making the transfer decision for elderly patients, trauma patients, and those with cardiac disease.

Influence of Prehospital Emergency Care on Rescue Success Rate and Complication Rate of Senile Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objective

This research mainly discusses the influence of prehospital emergency care (PHEC) on the rescue success rate and complication rate of senile patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods

We selected 200 senile AMI patients who visited between January 2019 and January 2021, and retrospectively analyzed their clinical data. According to the differences in nursing methods, the patients were assigned to control group (n = 90) and observation group (n = 110), which were treated with routine nursing and PHEC, respectively. Intergroup comparisons were made in terms of rescue success rate, nursing efficacy, clinical parameters and complication rate.

Results

After investigation, the nursing efficacy was higher in the observation group compared with the control group. Additionally, the observation group was observed with statistically shorter time to thrombolysis and hospital stay, as well as evidently lower mortality and complication rates.

Conclusion

The above demonstrates that PHEC can effectively improve the rescue success rate and rescue efficacy, and facilitate the recovery of senile AMI patients, with a low complication rate compared with the routine care, which plays an important role in ensuring patients' life safety and is worth popularizing clinically.