The French airbridge for circulatory support in the Carribean.
OBJECTIVE
We report the assessment and the activities for the first year of our airborne circulatory support mobile unit (CSMU) in the French Caribbean.


METHODS
From January 2010 to June 2011, 12 patients (mean age = 35.7 years; range: 15-62 years; sex ratio = 1:1) were attended outside Martinique by our CSMU and transferred to our unit by air.


RESULTS
Eight patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome and were assisted by veno-venous extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) four had refractory cardiogenic shock, assisted by extra corporeal life support (ECLS). The average air transfer distance for patients was 912 km (range: 198-1585 km). The average flying time was 124 min (range: 45-255 min). The aircraft used were helicopter, military transport or private jet. The setting-up of assistance devices and transfer of patients was uneventful. One patient subsequently benefited from heart transplantation after long-term circulatory support. One patient died under ECMO support after 51 days of assistance and another died on the 60th day after withdrawal of ECLS.


CONCLUSIONS
CSMUs can be very efficient in providing support to patients in refractory shock, when remote from a cardiac surgery centre. The airborne transfer of patients on ECMO/ECLS can be achieved safely, even over long distances.
Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Fort-de-France University Hospital, Martinique, France. guillaumelebreton@live.fr
Guillaume
G
Lebreton
Bruno
B
Sanchez
Jean-Luc
JL
Hennequin
Dabor
D
Resière
Didier
D
Hommel
Christian
C
Léonard
Hossein
H
Mehdaoui
François
F
Roques
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D017691:Caribbean Region; D004867:Equipment Design; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult