Injury mortality following the loss of air medical support for rural interhospital transport.
Publication/Presentation Date
7-1-2002
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated variation in mortality among interfacility transfers three years before and after discontinuation of a rotor-wing transport service.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort assessment was conducted among severely injured patients transferred from four rural hospitals to a single tertiary center in regions with continued versus discontinued rotor-wing service. Thirty-day mortality following discharge from the receiving tertiary facility served as the primary outcome measure.
RESULTS: Discontinuation of rotor-wing transport decreased interfacility transfers and increased transfer time. Transferred patients were four times more likely to die after (compared with before) rotor-wing service was discontinued (p = 0.05). No difference was noted in the region with continued rotor-wing service [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, p = 0.47].
CONCLUSIONS: Injury mortality increased with loss of air transport for interfacility transfer in a rural area.
Volume
9
Issue
7
First Page
694
Last Page
698
ISSN
1069-6563
Published In/Presented At
Mann, N. C., Pinkney, K. A., Price, D. D., Rowland, D., Arthur, M., Hedges, J. R., & Mullins, R. J. (2002). Injury mortality following the loss of air medical support for rural interhospital transport. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, 9(7), 694–698. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1553-2712.2002.tb02147.x
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Pediatrics
PubMedID
12093709
Department(s)
Department of Pediatrics
Document Type
Article