jueves 12 de agosto de 2010
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domingo 29 de noviembre de 2009
History of Air Medical Transport
The Wright brothers flew their “powered glider” at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Soon after that, health care providers began to think about using this new machine to transport patients. The first 20 years of flight saw rapid improvement in the size, speed and reliability of aircraft. These improvements made the idea of air medical evacuation, or medevac, a possibility.
There is no proven case of aircraft being used for air medevac before the 20th century. However, for many years it has been taught that the first recorded air medevac was in 1870. In that year a hot air balloon was reportedly used to move patients out of Paris during the Franco-Prussian war. In 2003 in Air & Surface Patient Transport, Principles and Practice that claim was refuted. The concept of air medevac, however, did exist in fiction long before the 20th century. In 1866 Jules Verne coined the term “air ambulance” in his book, Robur le Conquerant (or A trip Round the World in a Flying Machine). This book described the rescue of shipwrecked sailors by a balloon named the Albatross.
The French used aircraft in 1912 to move soldiers who were wounded on the battlefield. The United States started using medevac aircraft around 1918. By World War II, air medevacs were well accepted and 1.4 million soldiers were evacuated by air during that war. Only 46 people died en route.
The military led the way in using aircraft for transporting patients. During the 1930s special airplanes were designed to move patients between several of the large military hospitals. These airplanes had two engines, heated cabins, litters for six to ten patients, and short runway capability.
In 1942 Sikorsky made the first helicopter with “side car” litters. They were used in Burma in 1944 to medevac injured soldiers. By the late 1950s helicopters had moved almost 20,000 casualties. During the 11years of the Vietnam War, over 200,000 soldiers were evacuated by air. Some of them were transported in larger helicopters that held up to nine patients.
In reviewing the military medevac statistics, one fact stands out: The quicker people are moved from the scene of the trauma to a place of definitive care, the better their chance of survival. Military data show that mortality dropped from 4.5 deaths per 100 casualties during World War II to 2.5 deaths per 100 causalities in the Korean War. The chart below shows the relationship between transport time and survival rates from World War I through the War in Vietnam.
After the experiences of the Korean War, efforts were made to use air medical transportation for civilians. Some of the early efforts included use of military helicopters in Belgium in 1963 and in Philadelphia in 1965. The Philadelphia project was called Helicopter Emergency Lifesaving Patrol or H.E.L.P. The H.E.L.P. project was unique because it joined doctors and medical personnel from Lankenau Hospital with the Atlantic Refining Company’s “Go Patrol” traffic helicopter. It served the Delaware Valley area. The next use of helicopters in transporting patients was in late 1967. Superior Ambulance Service in Westland, Michigan started a commercial helicopter ambulance service using the Bell Ranger 47-J.
The first dedicated non-military medevac systems were sponsored by:
There is no proven case of aircraft being used for air medevac before the 20th century. However, for many years it has been taught that the first recorded air medevac was in 1870. In that year a hot air balloon was reportedly used to move patients out of Paris during the Franco-Prussian war. In 2003 in Air & Surface Patient Transport, Principles and Practice that claim was refuted. The concept of air medevac, however, did exist in fiction long before the 20th century. In 1866 Jules Verne coined the term “air ambulance” in his book, Robur le Conquerant (or A trip Round the World in a Flying Machine). This book described the rescue of shipwrecked sailors by a balloon named the Albatross.
The French used aircraft in 1912 to move soldiers who were wounded on the battlefield. The United States started using medevac aircraft around 1918. By World War II, air medevacs were well accepted and 1.4 million soldiers were evacuated by air during that war. Only 46 people died en route.
The military led the way in using aircraft for transporting patients. During the 1930s special airplanes were designed to move patients between several of the large military hospitals. These airplanes had two engines, heated cabins, litters for six to ten patients, and short runway capability.
In 1942 Sikorsky made the first helicopter with “side car” litters. They were used in Burma in 1944 to medevac injured soldiers. By the late 1950s helicopters had moved almost 20,000 casualties. During the 11years of the Vietnam War, over 200,000 soldiers were evacuated by air. Some of them were transported in larger helicopters that held up to nine patients.
In reviewing the military medevac statistics, one fact stands out: The quicker people are moved from the scene of the trauma to a place of definitive care, the better their chance of survival. Military data show that mortality dropped from 4.5 deaths per 100 casualties during World War II to 2.5 deaths per 100 causalities in the Korean War. The chart below shows the relationship between transport time and survival rates from World War I through the War in Vietnam.
After the experiences of the Korean War, efforts were made to use air medical transportation for civilians. Some of the early efforts included use of military helicopters in Belgium in 1963 and in Philadelphia in 1965. The Philadelphia project was called Helicopter Emergency Lifesaving Patrol or H.E.L.P. The H.E.L.P. project was unique because it joined doctors and medical personnel from Lankenau Hospital with the Atlantic Refining Company’s “Go Patrol” traffic helicopter. It served the Delaware Valley area. The next use of helicopters in transporting patients was in late 1967. Superior Ambulance Service in Westland, Michigan started a commercial helicopter ambulance service using the Bell Ranger 47-J.
The first dedicated non-military medevac systems were sponsored by:
- Maryland State Police, helicopter, under the medical direction of R. Adams Cowley, MD in 1969/1970.
- Samaritan Air Evac, Phoenix, AZ, the first hospital-based fixed wing program in 1969.
- St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, CO, a hospital-based helicopter program in 1972.
- Loma Linda Hospital in Loma Linda, CA a hospital-based helicopter program in 1972.
martes 17 de noviembre de 2009
Aeromedical Forum
Bienvenidos a este nuevo blog les invito a todos a participar y poder dejar sus opiniones acerca de nosotros. Estaremos publicando articulos que gustosamente investigaremos para ustedes. Espero encuentren un lugar adecuado para la discusion de temas de aviacion, cientificos y medicos.
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