Transport of Trauma Patients by Airway: Turkish Experience

Abstract

Aim:Air transport is very useful for transporting patients between hospitals in the case of a trauma or illness that requires special care. Transporting trauma patients who require early intervention to large centers for effective treatment ensures both effective treatment and a reduction in mortality.Materials and Methods:In our study, a retrospective review was performed using data collected for cases transported by airway organized by the Ministry of Health between January 2020 and May 2021. Patients transported by plane and helicopter due to trauma were included in the study. The patients were examined in terms of reason for transport, gender, age, medical condition, cities of transport, route of transport, transport vehicle.Results:Two hundred and eighty-seven trauma patients were transferred, 125 by air ambulance and 162 by helicopter ambulance. Of the patients transported by plane, 103 were male and 22 were female. Among the number of patients transported by helicopter, 120 patients were male and 42 patients were female. The pediatric patients were 23 in patients transported by plane and 34 in helicopter. When the transported patients were evaluated in terms of indication; the most common indication for transportation of patients is multitrauma (blunt thoracic trauma, fracture) patients with 78 patients. Considering the major centers where patients were transferred, Ankara was in the first place with 107 patients. Considering the flight times, the average flight time for air transport was 77 minutes, and the average flight time for a helicopter ambulance was 69 minutes.Conclusion:Transporting patients by air is critical in countries such as Turkey, which has a large area and difficult geographical conditions. Transporting trauma patients who require early intervention to large centers for effective treatment ensures both effective treatment and a reduction in mortality. We think that our country’s successful air transport system plays a major role in the effective treatment of patients, thanks to its short average flight time and successful transport procedure.

Keywords

• air transport
• trauma patient
• multi-trauma
• terrorist attacks
• blunt thoracic trauma