A retrospective, descriptive study of patients evacuated to South Africa via an aero-medical provider from November 2010 to October 2011
Date
2017
Authors
Odendaal, Salome Marlize
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Abstract
Background. When the medical needs of an ill or injured patient exceed what is
available locally, urgent transportation to a well-equipped medical facility becomes
prudent in order to minimize morbidity and mortality. Aircrafts are frequently used for
this purpose.
The aim. The aim of this study is to describe the patient profile of international aeromedical
transportations (AMT) in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods. All air ambulance patient transportations performed by a South African
based dedicated AMT provider, from 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011, were
reviewed and analysed.
Results. Three hundred and six transportations were conducted of which 303 met
the inclusion criteria. The patients’ ages ranged from 2 days to 86 years (median age
43 years). The top 3 nationalities transported were from South Africa (25.1%), United
States of America (9.9%) and Angola (26%). The top 5 medical categories were
trauma (23.4%), cardiology (16.2%), infective diseases (11.2%), neurology (10.9%)
and surgery (9.6%). Malaria, as a single disease entity, contributed to 10.2% of all
transportations. Transportations were mostly done from Angola (32.3%), Zambia
(11.9%) and Mozambique (9.2%). Thirty one patients (10.2%) received mechanical
ventilation, 16 (5.3%) inotrope and/or vasodilatory therapy, 68 (22.4%) oxygen and 2
(0.7%) were transported within a patient isolation unit.
Conclusion. Transportation included neonatal, paediatric and geriatric patients with
various medical conditions, some of whom required critical care procedures during
AMT into South Africa. Therefore, the necessary skills training and appropriate
equipment to care for critically ill patients and any possible complications should
always be available during AMT.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in Medicine in Emergency Medicine
Johannesburg 2017.