title: Medical evacuations from oil rigs off the Gulf Coast of the United States from 2008 to 2012: reasons and cost implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify reasons for air medical evacuations from oil rigs/platforms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of data of medical calls from 102 rigs/platforms in the US Gulf Coast from 2008 through 2012 with specific analysis of medevacs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, 1609 total calls per year relating to illness or injury on the 102 oil rigs/platforms with 4% to 7% requiring medical air evacuation. On average, 77% of medevacs were for nonoccupational medical injury or illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Illness, not occupational injuries, is identified as the major reason for medical evacuations from oil rigs. Heart disease is the leading cause of chronic health conditions resulting in a medevac.
authors.affiliation: From Safety Management Systems (Dr Thibodaux), Lafayette; Bourgeois Medical Clinic (Dr Bourgeois), Morgan City, La; US Preventive Medicine, Inc (Dr Loeppke), Brentwood, Tenn; KDK Solutions, Ltd (Ms Konicki), Chicago, Ill; Disney Parks and Resorts (Dr Hymel), Yorba Linda, Calif; and American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Ms Dreger), Elk Grove Village, Ill.
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thibodaux
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Loeppke
authors.forename: Doris L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Konicki
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hymel
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dreger
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060851:Gulf of America; D006801:Humans; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data