Interfacility helicopter ambulance transport of neurosurgical patients: Observations, utilization, and outcomes from a quaternary level care hospital

PLoS ONE

Volumn 6, Issue 10, 2011, Pages

  Walcott, Brian P ^a   Coumans, Jean Valery ^a   Mian, Matthew K ^a   Nahed, Brian V ^a   Kahle, Kristopher T ^a  

^a MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AIR MEDICAL TRANSPORT; AMBULANCE; ARTICLE; CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS; CLINICAL PRACTICE; CONSULTATION; CONTROLLED STUDY; EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICE; EMERGENCY WARD; HEALTH CARE DELIVERY; HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION; HELICOPTER; HOSPITAL DISCHARGE; HUMAN; INTENSIVE CARE; INTERFACILITY HELICOPTER AMBULANCE TRANSPORT; INTERHOSPITAL COOPERATION; INTERMETHOD COMPARISON; INTERVENTION STUDY; MORTALITY; NEUROSURGERY; OBSERVATIONAL STUDY; OUTCOME ASSESSMENT; PATIENT REFERRAL; PATIENT SCHEDULING; PATIENT TRANSPORT; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; SURGICAL PATIENT; TIME; FEMALE; HOSPITAL; HOSPITAL ADMISSION; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; STATISTICS; TREATMENT OUTCOME; UTILIZATION REVIEW;

AIR AMBULANCES; EMERGENCY SERVICE, HOSPITAL; FEMALE; HOSPITALS; HUMANS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; NEUROSURGICAL PROCEDURES; PATIENT ADMISSION; PATIENT DISCHARGE; TIME FACTORS; TRANSPORTATION OF PATIENTS; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

EID: 80053989141     PISSN: None     EISSN: 19326203     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026216     Document Type: Article

References (31)

1. Southard PA, Hedges JR, Hunter JG, Ungerleider RM, (2005) Impact of a Transfer Center on Interhospital Referrals and Transfers to a Tertiary Care Center. Academic Emergency Medicine 12: 653-657.
2. Spain DA, Bellino M, Kopelman A, Chang J, Park J, et al. (2007) Requests for 692 transfers to an academic level I trauma center: implications of the emergency medical treatment and active labor act. J Trauma 62: 63-67 discussion 67-68.
3. Babu MA, Nahed BV, Demoya MM, Curry WT, (2011) Is Trauma Transfer Influenced by Factors Other than Medical Need? An Examination of Insurance Status and Transfer in Patients with Mild Head Injury. Neurosurgery Available:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21499151.
4. Sasser SM, Hunt RC, Sullivent EE, Wald MM, Mitchko J, et al. (2009) Guidelines for field triage of injured patients. Recommendations of the National Expert Panel on Field Triage. MMWR Recomm Rep 58: 1-35.
5. Arfken CL, Shapiro MJ, Bessey PQ, Littenberg B, (1998) Effectiveness of helicopter versus ground ambulance services for interfacility transport. J Trauma 45: 785-790.
6. Brown JB, Stassen NA, Bankey PE, Sangosanya AT, Cheng JD, et al. (2011) Helicopters improve survival in seriously injured patients requiring interfacility transfer for definitive care. J Trauma 70: 310-314.
7. Bledsoe BE, (2003) Air medical helicopter accidents in the United States: a five-year review. Prehosp Emerg Care 7: 94-98.
8. Brazier J, Nicholl J, Snooks H, (1996) The cost and effectiveness of the London Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. J Health Serv Res Policy 1: 232-237.
9. Vuori J, Kylänen M, Tritter J, (2010) Transfer of patients from health care centres to special care services: analysis of travel distances in Nordic countries. Int J Circumpolar Health 69: 512-518.
10. Aleccia J, (2009) Air ambulances leave some with sky-high bills. MSNBC.COM. Available:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34419018/ns/health-health_care/t/air-ambulances-leave-some-sky-high-bills/.
11. Koval KJ, Tingey CW, Spratt KF, (2006) Are patients being transferred to level-I trauma centers for reasons other than medical necessity? J Bone Joint Surg Am 88: 2124-2132.
12. Qureshi AI, Palesch YY, Martin R, Novitzke J, Cruz-Flores S, et al. (2010) Effect of systolic blood pressure reduction on hematoma expansion, perihematomal edema, and 3-month outcome among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: results from the antihypertensive treatment of acute cerebral hemorrhage study. Arch. Neurol 67: 570-576.
13. Samuels O, Webb A, Culler S, Martin K, Barrow D, (2011) Impact of a dedicated neurocritical care team in treating patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurocrit Care 14: 334-340.
14. Bershad EM, Feen ES, Hernandez OH, Suri MFK, Suarez JI, (2008) Impact of a specialized neurointensive care team on outcomes of critically ill acute ischemic stroke patients. Neurocrit Care 9: 287-292.
15. Taylor CB, Stevenson M, Jan S, Middleton PM, Fitzharris M, et al. (2010) A systematic review of the costs and benefits of helicopter emergency medical services. Injury 41: 10-20.
16. McConnell KJ, Newgard CD, Mullins RJ, Arthur M, Hedges JR, (2005) Mortality benefit of transfer to level I versus level II trauma centers for head-injured patients. Health Serv Res 40: 435-457.
17. Hoh BL, Chi Y-Y, Lawson MF, Mocco J, Barker FG 2nd, (2010) Length of stay and total hospital charges of clipping versus coiling for ruptured and unruptured adult cerebral aneurysms in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database 2002 to 2006. Stroke 41: 337-342.
18. Lawton MT, Du R, (2005) Effect of the neurosurgeon's surgical experience on outcomes from intraoperative aneurysmal rupture. Neurosurgery 57: 9-15 discussion 9-15.
19. Carlson AP, Ramirez P, Kennedy G, McLean AR, Murray-Krezan C, et al. (2010) Low rate of delayed deterioration requiring surgical treatment in patients transferred to a tertiary care center for mild traumatic brain injury. Neurosurg Focus 29: E3.
20. Esposito TJ, Reed RL, Gamelli RL, Luchette FA, (2005) Neurosurgical coverage: essential, desired, or irrelevant for good patient care and trauma center status. Ann. Surg 242: 364-370 discussion 370-374.
21. Ashkenazi I, Haspel J, Alfici R, Kessel B, Khashan T, et al. (2007) Effect of teleradiology upon pattern of transfer of head injured patients from a rural general hospital to a neurosurgical referral centre. Emerg Med J 24: 550-552.
22. Bricolo AP, Pasut LM, (1984) Extradural hematoma: toward zero mortality. A prospective study. Neurosurgery 14: 8-12.
23. Poon WS, Li AK, (1991) Comparison of management outcome of primary and secondary referred patients with traumatic extradural haematoma in a neurosurgical unit. Injury 22: 323-325.
24. Wester K, (1999) Decompressive surgery for "pure" epidural hematomas: does neurosurgical expertise improve the outcome? Neurosurgery discussion 44: 495-500 discussion 500-502.
25. Rost NS, Smith EE, Chang Y, Snider RW, Chanderraj R, et al. (2008) Prediction of functional outcome in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage: the FUNC score. Stroke 39: 2304-2309.
26. Svenson JE, O'Connor JE, Lindsay MB, (2006) Is air transport faster? A comparison of air versus ground transport times for interfacility transfers in a regional referral system. Air Med J 25: 170-172.
27. Chappell VL, Mileski WJ, Wolf SE, Gore DC, (2002) Impact of discontinuing a hospital-based air ambulance service on trauma patient outcomes. J Trauma 52: 486-491.
28. Marler JR, Tilley BC, Lu M, Brott TG, Lyden PC, et al. (2000) Early stroke treatment associated with better outcome: the NINDS rt-PA stroke study. Neurology 55: 1649-1655.
29. Nogueira RG, Smith WS, (2009) Emergency treatment of acute ischemic stroke: expanding the time window. Curr Treat Options Neurol 11: 433-443.
30. del Zoppo GJ, Saver JL, Jauch EC, Adams HP, (2009) Expansion of the Time Window for Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke With Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke 40: 2945-2948 on behalf of the American Heart Association Stroke Council.
31. Grunwald IQ, Wakhloo AK, Walter S, Molyneux AJ, Byrne JV, et al. (2011) Endovascular stroke treatment today. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 32: 238-243.