Use of Helicopter Medical Transportation to the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit

Helicopter medical transportation (HMT) is a valuable resource that can expedite medical care by shortening transferring times. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding its cost and efficacy. No specific studies have addressed its use in patients transferred to the neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU).

This was a retrospective study performed at a university hospital in the coastal southeastern USA. The flight logs for the air ambulance company were reviewed, and all patients undergoing HMT to the NSICU during a 1-year period were identified. Flight logs and medical records were reviewed to obtain basic demographics, diagnosis, mortality, transportation distance, and performance of time-sensitive interventions (TSIs) to include ventriculostomy placement, emergency craniotomy, emergency craniectomy, emergency aneurysm obliteration, emergency spine surgery, emergent endovascular procedures, subdural drain placement, emergent shunt revision, and continuous electroencephalography (EEG) performed within 4 h of admission. We analyzed the cost of HMT and correlated the clinical variables with the performance of TSIs.

A total of 101 patients underwent HMT during a 12-month period; 26 underwent 30 TSIs (4 underwent 2 TSIs) and an additional 4 were transported for EEG monitoring. The only clinical variable associated with a TSI was subarachnoid hemorrhage with ventriculostomy placement. Continuous EEG monitoring performed in four patients with suspected status epilepticus did not show status epilepticus in any of them (one was performed after 4 h). Transportation distance was less than 60 miles in four patients who underwent TSIs. The total cost of HMT was $3,360,573: $842,672 for those who underwent TSIs and $2,517,901 for those who did not. When compared with ground transportation, an excess cost of $3,129,415.25 was incurred by using HMT. There was no difference in the median cost of transportation between patients who underwent TSIs and those who did not ($30,210 vs. $30,211). The median cost transportation difference between HMT and ground transportation was significantly different (p < 0.001), with a median excess cost of $28,023 (range $15,553-76,155) per patient.

The majority of patients who were transferred via HMT did not undergo TSIs, and among those who underwent TSIs, approximately one in six was transported from a hospital located less than 60 miles away from the NSICU; the distances of ground and air transportation are equivalent. Helicopter transfers may play a role in subarachnoid hemorrhage management. A significant expense was incurred by using HMT for the majority of patients (75%) who did not undergo TSIs.