title: Helicopter emergency medical service in Canary Islands, Spain.
abstract: This is a report on our first 2 years' experience of operating a helicopter emergency medical service in the Canary Islands, Spain. The two advanced life-support helicopters are staffed full time by a physician and a nurse. For the transport protocol, inter-hospital transport patients (secondary missions) were classified into three groups: group A, minor illnesses or injuries; group B, modified or middle critical condition; and group C, critical condition. On-scene patients (primary missions) were also divided into critical and non-critical condition. Cardiovascular and respiratory stabilization were necessary before transport. One thousand and fifty-four patients were transported, 19% of whom were primary missions and 81% of whom were secondary missions. Thirty per cent of the first group were in critical condition. The distribution of secondary missions was group A 16%, group B 44% and group C 40%. In group C, 60% of patients were mechanically ventilated, 70% needed cardiovascular drug support and 84% needed stabilization before transport. Thirty-two per cent were trauma patients and 12% neonates. The overall mortality rate was 0.8%. The cost per mission was US$2300. In the interests of safety and rationalization of the use of resources, transport of non-critical patients should be reduced. The presence of a trained physician and nursing crew and stabilization before transport could be responsible for the low mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. del Pino, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lubillo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burillo-Putze
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herranz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012449:Safety; D013030:Spain; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration*