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Field triage for on-scene helicopter transport
The Journal of Trauma
|November 1, 1986
Summary
Basic vital signs and injury mechanisms effectively identify patients needing helicopter transport. Unresponsiveness to verbal stimulation is the most critical field triage criterion for trauma patients.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Surgery
- Pre-hospital Care
Background:
- Field triage is crucial for timely trauma patient transport.
- Helicopter transport is vital for rural trauma care.
- Identifying appropriate patients for air transport is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate basic vital signs, mechanisms of injury, and time-distance factors as field triage criteria.
- To assess the effectiveness of these criteria for helicopter transport decisions.
- To identify the most predictive field triage indicators for serious trauma.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 130 trauma patients.
- Evaluation of vital signs: level of consciousness, respiration rate, systolic blood pressure, pulse.
- Inclusion of mechanisms of injury (entrapment) and time-distance logistics.
Main Results:
- One or more abnormal vital signs identified seriously injured patients (mean Injury Severity Score = 29.1).
- Abnormal vital signs correlated with significantly lower predicted mortality (24% vs. 32%, p < 0.02).
- Unresponsiveness to verbal stimulation showed high sensitivity (93%) and specificity (85%) for identifying critical trauma.
Conclusions:
- Basic vital signs and injury assessment are valuable field triage tools.
- Unresponsiveness to verbal stimulation is a highly reliable indicator for helicopter transport.
- Time-distance factors aid in determining the necessity of helicopter use for rural trauma patients.
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