A national survey of the air medical transport of high-risk obstetric patients

Introduction: Air medical transport of high-risk obstetric (HROB) patients can be accomplished and advantageous for neonate survival and maternal morbidity. A survey of U.S. helicopter air medical programs was conducted to determine the frequency and current practices of HROB transport. Methods: Eac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Air medical journal 2001-03, Vol.20 (2), p.17-20
Main Authors: Jones, Alan E., Summers, Richard L., Deschamp, Clyde, Galli, Robert L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Ambulances - utilization
air medical transport
Emergency Medical Technicians
Emergency Nursing
Emergency Treatment - methods
Female
Health administration
high-risk obstetric
Humans
Infant Mortality
Infant, Newborn
Maternal Mortality
neonate
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, High-Risk
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transportation of Patients - methods
Transportation of Patients - utilization
United States - epidemiology
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Summary:Introduction: Air medical transport of high-risk obstetric (HROB) patients can be accomplished and advantageous for neonate survival and maternal morbidity. A survey of U.S. helicopter air medical programs was conducted to determine the frequency and current practices of HROB transport. Methods: Each program was contacted by telephone, and air medical personnel were asked to answer 12 questions based on personal experience and statistics compiled by their programs. Results: Of the 203 programs surveyed, 133 (66%) provided responses. The mean number of HROB transports was 45.6 per year (4.6% of the mean 995 total transports). Although 83% of the responding programs used the standard flight crew during the HROB transport, only 52% required crew members to maintain neonatal resuscitation certification. Only 56% of the aircraft allow pelvic access in the normal patient configuration. While only 22% of programs have specific HROB launch (dispatch) protocols, 50% reported having obstetricians involved in dispatching flights, and 84% carry tocolytic agents in their drug kit. The greatest concerns included in-flight delivery (60%), inadequate fetal monitoring (6%), and inexperience (5%). Conclusion: While HROBs account for 5% of air medical flights, many programs appear to be poorly prepared for these patients.
ISSN:1067-991X
1532-6497
DOI:10.1016/S1067-991X(01)70094-6