title: Helicopter Scene Response for Stroke Patients: A 5-Year Experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of an emergency medical service (EMS)-requested air medical helicopter response directly to the scene for a patient with clinical evidence of an ischemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and transport to a regional comprehensive CVA center.
  
  
  METHODS
  CareFlight, an air medical critical care transportation service, is based in Dayton, OH. The 3 CareFlight helicopters are geographically located and provided transport to all CVA scene patients in this study. A retrospective chart review was completed for all CareFlight CVA scene flights for 5 years (2011-2015). A total of 136 adult patients were transported. EMS criteria included CVA symptom presence for less than 3 hours or awoke abnormal, nonhypoglycemia, and a significantly positive Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients (75%) met all 3 EMS CVA scene criteria; 27.5% of these patients received peripheral tissue plasminogen activator, and 9.8% underwent a neurointerventional procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a 3-step EMS triage for acute CVA, air medical transport from the scene to a comprehensive stroke center allowed for the timely administration of tissue plasminogen activator and/or a neurointerventional procedure in a substantive percentage of patients. Further investigation into air medical scene response for acute stroke is warranted.
authors.affiliation: CareFlight Air and Mobile Services, Miami Valley Hospital/Premier Health, Dayton, OH; Department of Emergency Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Kettering, OH. Electronic address: achawk@premierhealth.com.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawk
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Kettering, OH.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Kettering, OH.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Kettering, OH.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017732:Air Ambulances; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014218:Triage
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator