The impact of a physician as part of the aeromedical prehospital team in patients with blunt trauma.
To determine whether the presence of a physician in the prehospital setting influences patient outcome, the predicted mortality of 258 patients with blunt trauma treated and transported by a medical helicopter staffed by a flight nurse and flight paramedic was compared with that of 316 similar patients with blunt trauma treated and transported by a medical helicopter staffed by a flight nurse and flight physician. All patients were randomized between the two treatment teams. The mortality of the patients treated by the flight nurse/flight paramedic team was that predicted by the methodology. The mortality of the patients treated by the flight nurse/flight physician team was 35% lower than that predicted, and significantly lower than that of the flight nurse/flight paramedic-staffed helicopter.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D002140:California; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010820:Physicians; D011897:Random Allocation; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*