Seriously injured trauma patients transported to hospitals by helicopter are 16 percent more likely to survive than patients brought in by ground ambulance, according to the Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist who led the study.
"We know helicopter trips are costly and carry some risks, but this research shows they do save lives," said study author Adil Haider, MD, MPH, an associate professor of surgery, anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "It also tells us that we need to sharpen our ability to identify trauma patients who need the helicopter most to ensure that we deploy the helicopter for people who really will benefit from its use."
In addition to lowering a patient's transport time to the hospital, helicopters tend to carry the most experienced medical crews, said Dr. Haider.
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"We know helicopter trips are costly and carry some risks, but this research shows they do save lives," said study author Adil Haider, MD, MPH, an associate professor of surgery, anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "It also tells us that we need to sharpen our ability to identify trauma patients who need the helicopter most to ensure that we deploy the helicopter for people who really will benefit from its use."
In addition to lowering a patient's transport time to the hospital, helicopters tend to carry the most experienced medical crews, said Dr. Haider.
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