An Analysis of Patients with Anaphylaxis Treated by a Physician-Staffed Helicopter

To determine whether anaphylactic patients treated by the doctor helicopter (DH) staff and transported from the scene obtained a favorable outcome by analyzing changes in vital signs and clinical manifestation before and after treatment during flight.

We retrospectively investigated all of the patients with anaphylaxis who were transported by the DH between March 2004 and February 2017.

A total of 68 cases were enrolled in the present study. The average age was 48 years old, and most were men. The most frequent cause of anaphylaxis was a beesting or wasp sting followed by a food allergy. Adrenaline injections were executed at the scene for 48 cases. The condition of 64 (94%) subjects improved or totally subsided (n = 25, 37%) after arriving at the hospital. The Glasgow Coma Scale, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, and systolic blood pressure after transportation to a hospital were higher than before transportation. All subjects who were treated by the DH staff obtained a survival outcome without sequelae.

The vital signs and clinical conditions of the patients who were treated by the DH staff when they were in an anaphylactic state at the scene showed improvement when they arrived at the hospital.