Aircraft transfer of pediatric patients with intractable cardiac or airway problems – single-institutional experience of a specialty hospital.
BACKGROUND
There is currently a well-established network for the allocation of donor organs for transplantation in Japan, and emergency patients are often transported by the "Doctor Helicopter". However, interhospital transfer of patients, which can require aircraft with specialized equipment, depends on arrangement by each responsible hospital.


RESULTS
Since 2009 there were 41 interhospital aviation transfers of pediatric patients with intractable cardiac or airway diseases seeking surgical treatment at Sakakibara Heart Institute. Of these, 22 were newborns, 21 were on continuous drip infusion and 14 on mechanical ventilator support. In 15 cases (36.6%), a commercial airliner was used, with the remaining using chartered emergency aircraft (eg, local fire department helicopter, Self-Defense-Forces of Japan and the Doctor Helicopter). The median transfer time was 239 min for commercial airliners, 51 min for chartered aircraft departing directly from the referring hospital and 120.5 min for chartered aircraft departing from a nearby location. The efficiency of the transfer exemplified by the percentage of the time on board the aircraft was significantly lower for commercial airliners compared with chartered emergency aircraft.


CONCLUSIONS
Further efforts and cooperation with government are required to obtain geographically uniform availability of carriers with optimal medical equipment to improve pediatric patient outcomes.
Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Sakakibara Heart Institute.
Makoto
M
Ando
Yukihiro
Y
Takahashi
In-Sam
IS
Park
Hitonobu
H
Tomoike
D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000401:Aircraft / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004630:Emergencies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007564:Japan; D058749:Military Facilities / Q000295:instrumentation; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000601:surgery; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data