title: Helicopter emergency medical rescue for the traumatized: experience in the metropolitan region of Campinas, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the profile of patients served by the air medical rescue system in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas, evaluating: triage and mobilization criteria; response time; on-site care and transport time; invasive procedures performed in the Pre-Hospital Care (PHC); severity of patients; morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective, descriptive study in which we analyzed medical records of patients rescued between July 2010 and December 2012. During this period, 242 victims were taken to the HC-Unicamp. Of the 242 patients, 22 were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  of the 220 cases evaluated, 173 (78.6%) were male, with a mean age of 32 years. Blunt trauma was the most prevalent (207 cases - 94.1%), motorcycle accidents being the most common mechanisms of injury (66 cases - 30%), followed by motor vehicle collisions (51 cases - 23.2%). The average response time was 10 ± 4 minutes and the averaged total pre-hospital time was 42 ± 11 minutes. The mean values of the trauma indices were: RTS = 6.2 ± 2.2; ISS = 19.2 ± 12.6; and TRISS = 0.78 ± 0.3. Tracheal intubation in the pre-hospital environment was performed in 77 cases (35%); 43 patients (19.5%) had RTS of 7.84 and ISSd"9, being classified as over-triaged. Of all patients admitted, the mortality was 15.9% (35 cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  studies of air medical rescue in Brazil are required due to the investments made in the pre-hospital care in a country without an organized trauma system. The high rate of over-triage found highlights the need to improve the triage and mobilization criteria.
authors.affiliation: Health Secretariat, São Paulo State, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Galesso
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carina Fontana
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Francischini
authors.affiliation: Health Secretariat, São Paulo State, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.affiliation: Health Secretariat, São Paulo State, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vanzetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Pereira
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Fraga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014218:Triage; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*