Life Saver: a complete team approach incorporated into a hospital-based program

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Aeromedical Services
• Trauma Care

Background:

• Effective prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS), organized regional communication, and rapid air evacuation with a dedicated medical team are crucial for critically ill patient survival.
• The Life Saver airborne emergency service at Carraway Methodist Medical Center implemented a "complete team" concept, including a physician and critical care flight nurse on every mission.

Observation:

• The airborne emergency service transported 1047 patients between January 1981 and December 1982.
• Patient case mix included 47.5% trauma, 47.8% nonsurgical, and 4.7% nontraumatic surgical cases.
• The physician's role included enhancing on-scene care, reducing referring physician anxiety, maintaining an intensive care unit environment during transport, and managing in-flight emergencies.

Findings:

• The aeromedical transport service achieved a 0% in-flight mortality rate across all patient categories.
• The "complete team" model, featuring a physician and critical care nurse, proved effective in managing diverse critical care scenarios during air transport.

Implications:

• This model of aeromedical transport demonstrates a highly effective approach to critical care delivery for severely ill or injured patients.
• Major trauma and cardiac referral centers should consider implementing similar comprehensive airborne emergency services to optimize patient outcomes.