title: Impact of emergency medical helicopter transport directly to a university hospital trauma center on mortality of severe blunt trauma patients until discharge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The benefits of transporting severely injured patients by helicopter remain controversial. This study aimed to analyze the impact on mortality of helicopter compared to ground transport directly from the scene to a University hospital trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The French Intensive Care Research for Severe Trauma cohort study enrolled 2,703 patients with severe blunt trauma requiring admission to University hospital intensive care units within 72 hours. Pre-hospital and hospital clinical data, including the mode of transport, (helicopter (HMICU) versus ground (GMICU), both with medical teams), were recorded. The analysis was restricted to patients admitted directly from the scene to a University hospital trauma center. The main endpoint was mortality until ICU discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1,958 patients analyzed, 74% were transported by GMICU, 26% by HMICU. Median injury severity score (ISS) was 26 (interquartile range (IQR) 19 to 34) for HMICU patients and 25 (IQR 18 to 34) for GMICU patients. Compared to GMICU, HMICU patients had a higher median time frame before hospital admission and were more intensively treated in the pre-hospital phase. Crude mortality until hospital discharge was the same regardless of pre-hospital mode of transport. After adjustment for initial status, the risk of death was significantly lower (odds ratio (OR): 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47 to 0.98, P = 0.035) for HMICU compared with GMICU. This result did not change after further adjustment for ISS and overall surgical procedures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests a beneficial impact of helicopter transport on mortality in severe blunt trauma. Whether this association could be due to better management in the pre-hospital phase needs to be more thoroughly assessed.
authors.forename: Thibaut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Desmettre
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yeguiayan
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coadou
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacquot
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raux
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vivien
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonithon-Kopp
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freysz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000639:trends*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000639:trends; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000639:trends*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult