title: Reduced Mortality by Physician-Staffed HEMS Dispatch for Adult Blunt Trauma Patients in Korea.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of domestic physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) for the transport of patients with severe trauma to a hospital. The study included patients with blunt trauma who were transported to our hospital by physician-staffed HEMS (Group P; n = 100) or nonphysician-staffed HEMS (Group NP; n = 80). Basic patient characteristics, transport time, treatment procedures, and medical treatment outcomes assessed using the Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) were compared between groups. We also assessed patients who were transported to the hospital within 3 h of injury in Groups P (Group P3; n = 50) and NP (Group NP3; n = 74). The severity of injury was higher, transport time was longer, and time from hospital arrival to operation room transfer was shorter for Group P than for Group NP (P < 0.001). Although Group P patients exhibited better medical treatment outcomes compared with Group NP, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.134 vs. 0.730). However, the difference in outcomes was statistically significant between Groups P3 and NP3 (P = 0.035 vs. 0.546). Under the current domestic trauma patient transport system in South Korea, physician-staffed HEMS are expected to increase the survival of patients with severe trauma. In particular, better treatment outcomes are expected if dedicated trauma resuscitation teams actively intervene in the medical treatment process from the transport stage and if patients are transported to a hospital to receive definitive care within 3 hours of injury.
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. jake98@daum.net.
authors.forename: Kyoungwon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7895-0362
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1220-1534
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: John Cj
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5468-3340
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Younghwan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3836-8743
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jonghwan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4630-3301
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Hwa
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5983-3056
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.affiliation: Ajou Trauma Center (South Gyeonggi Regional Trauma Center), Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4813-1096
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Ajou Trauma Center (South Gyeonggi Regional Trauma Center), Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Tea Youn
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0006-5862
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Ajou Trauma Center (South Gyeonggi Regional Trauma Center), Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Juryang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6622-3923
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Ajou Trauma Center (South Gyeonggi Regional Trauma Center), Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoju
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9145-3640
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances; D000071820:Emergency Medical Dispatch / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Aircraft; Emergencies; Injuries; Prehospital Emergency Care; Resuscitation; Trauma Centers; Treatment Outcome