title: Aeromedical retrieval for critical clinical conditions: 12 years of experience with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Queensland, Australia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Royal Flying Doctor Service (Qld Section), Queensland Section, Edgehill, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen Andrew
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: Valmae A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Ypinazar
mesh_terms: 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