Is air transport of stroke patients faster than ground transport?: A prospective controlled observational study

Rasmus Hesselfeldt; Jesper Gyllenborg; Jacob Steinmetz; Hien Quoc Do; Julie Hejselbæk; Lars S Rasmussen

doi:10.1136/emermed-2012-202270

Is air transport of stroke patients faster than ground transport?

Authors:

Hesselfeldt, Rasmus ;
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Gyllenborg, Jesper ;
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Steinmetz, Jacob ;
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Do, Hien Quoc ;
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Hejselbæk, Julie ;
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Rasmussen, Lars S
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Department of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Københavns Universitet

Subtitle:

A prospective controlled observational study

DOI:

10.1136/emermed-2012-202270

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Helicopters are widely used for interhospital transfers of stroke patients, but the benefit is sparsely documented. We hypothesised that helicopter transport would reduce system delay to thrombolytic treatment at the regional stroke centre. METHODS: In this prospective controlled observational study, we included patients referred to a stroke centre if their ground transport time exceeded 30 min, or they were transported by a secondarily dispatched, physician-staffed helicopter. The primary endpoint was time from telephone contact to triaging neurologist to arrival in the stroke centre. Secondary endpoints included modified Rankin Scale at 3 months, 30-day and 1-year mortality. RESULTS: A total of 330 patients were included; 265 with ground transport and 65 with helicopter, of which 87 (33%) and 22 (34%), received thrombolysis, respectively (p=0.88). Time from contact to triaging neurologist to arrival in the regional stroke centre was significantly shorter in the ground group (55 (34-85) vs 68 (40-85) min, p<0.01). The distance from scene to stroke centre was shorter in the ground group (67 (42-136) km) than in the helicopter group (83 (46-143) km) (p<0.01). We did not detect significant differences in modified Rankin Scale at 3 months, in 30-day (9.4% vs 0%; p=0.20) nor 1-year (18.8% vs 13.6%; p=0.76) mortality between ground and helicopter transport. CONCLUSIONS: We found significantly shorter time from contact to triaging neurologist to arrival in the regional stroke centre if stroke patients were transported by primarily dispatched ground ambulance compared with a secondarily dispatched helicopter.

Type:

Journal article

Language:

English

Published in:

Emergency Medicine Journal, 2014, Vol 31, Issue 4, p. 268-272

Keywords:

Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Air Ambulances; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; New Zealand; Prospective Studies; Stroke; Time-to-Treatment; Transportation of Patients; Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Observational Study; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Main Research Area:

Medical science

Publication Status:

Published

Review type:

Peer Review

Submission year:

2014

Scientific Level:

Scientific

ID:

247414802

Is air transport of stroke patients faster than ground transport?

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