Aeromedical retrieval for critical clinical conditions: 12 years of experience with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Queensland, Australia.
BACKGROUND
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has been providing emergency aeromedical retrieval services in Queensland, Australia since 1928.


OBJECTIVE
This article details service and delivery structure plus a description of 12 years of experience managing patients with critical clinical conditions.


METHODS
This study is a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the demographics and diagnostic classification of all cases of critical clinical severity conducted March 1, 1994 through February 28, 2006.


RESULTS
There were a total of 72,054 retrievals, with trauma the single most common clinical diagnosis. There were 4259 retrievals for patients with critical clinical conditions (6%). The most common categories of clinical diagnosis were: trauma with 1493 (35.1%), respiratory diseases 1386 (32.5%), and circulatory diseases 908 (21.3%). Trauma accounted for 69 of the 90 (77%) primary retrievals from locations without health care facilities. The death rate in transport was 1%, with most of these involving males from locations with minimal health facilities.


CONCLUSIONS
The RFDS in Queensland is an effective provider of fixed-wing aeromedical retrieval services, operating in an unusual environment with vast distances, low population density, and a high number of Indigenous people.
Margolis
Stephen Andrew
SA
Research Unit, Royal Flying Doctor Service (Qld Section), Queensland Section, Edgehill, Queensland, Australia.
Ypinazar
Valmae A
VA
D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D001315:Australia; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006076:Government; D006298:Health Services Administration; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies