Helicopter Emergency Medical Service presentations to an Irish emergency department

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Trauma Care
• Aeromedical Services

Background:

• Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) has served as a receiving facility for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) since 2012.
• HEMS provide critical aeromedical transport for patients with severe illnesses or injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the demographics of patients arriving via HEMS at TUH.
• To analyze the clinical management and outcomes of HEMS patients at TUH.
• To understand the role of TUH as a HEMS receiving hospital.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of adult HEMS patients presenting to TUH Emergency Department (ED) from January 2016 to December 2021.
• Data collected included patient demographics, injury mechanisms, management, and hospital outcomes.

Main Results:

• 192 HEMS patients presented to TUH ED, with a mean age of 46.8 years; 78.6% were male.
• Traumatic injuries (92%) were the primary reason for HEMS transport, most commonly from road traffic accidents (32%).
• 81% of patients required hospital admission, with a mean ED stay of 10.66 hours and a mean hospital stay of 10 days.

Conclusions:

• TUH ED serves a broad region as a trauma HEMS receiving hospital.
• HEMS patients typically present with high acuity, high admission rates, and a significant need for surgical interventions.
• Older patients (≥65 years) experienced longer hospital stays.