Helicopter emergency medical services and stroke care regionalization: measuring performance in a maturing system

Abstract This study retrospectively analyzed 123 patients undergoing helicopter emergency medical services transport for ischemic stroke (ischemic cerebrovascular accident) to the Massachusetts General Hospital during 2000-2004. To assess for system improvements over time, data were analyzed between...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of emergency medicine 2007-02, Vol.25 (2), p.158-163
Main Authors: Konstantopoulos, Wendy Macias, MD, Pliakas, John, EMTP, Hong, Christine, Chan, Katie, Kim, Gina, Nentwich, Lauren, MD, Thomas, Stephen H., MD, MPH
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Air Ambulances
Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Ischemia - complications
Brain Ischemia - therapy
Clinical death. Palliative care. Organ gift and preservation
Confidence intervals
Documentation
Emergency
Emergency and intensive care: techniques, logistics
Emergency medical care
Emergency medical services
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Health services
Hospitals
Humans
Intensive care medicine
Intensive care unit. Emergency transport systems. Emergency, hospital ward
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Program Evaluation
Retrospective Studies
Stroke
Stroke - etiology
Stroke - therapy
Time Factors
Trauma
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract This study retrospectively analyzed 123 patients undergoing helicopter emergency medical services transport for ischemic stroke (ischemic cerebrovascular accident) to the Massachusetts General Hospital during 2000-2004. To assess for system improvements over time, data were analyzed between the 2 consecutive 30-month periods comprising the 5-year study. Patients transported during the latter 30 months were transported from lesser distances ( P = .002), were more likely to be younger than 65 years ( P = .005), and were more likely to have documented symptom onset time ( P = .03) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (odds ratio, 3.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-7.6; P = .001). Time end points analysis found no significant improvements in any intervals compared across the 2 study eras. Age older than 65 years was the only covariate associated with a more rapid arrival at the Massachusetts General Hospital (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.4; P = .03). This study of our stroke transport system identified both areas of good performance and also areas for focusing further improvement efforts.
ISSN:0735-6757
1532-8171
DOI:10.1016/j.ajem.2006.06.016