Adults with serious injuries are more likely to survive if transported to a level I or II trauma center by helicopter than by ground transport, according to a study published April 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Helicopter transport was associated with a 16% better chance of survival, based on data from more than 200,000 patients in the 2007-2009 versions of the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank.
The measured outcomes included survival to hospital discharge and discharge disposition. "Future studies should focus on efficient and user-friendly pre-hospital assessment tools to properly identify injured adults who will be the most likely to benefit from helicopter transport," the authors said.
The JAMA issue focuses on comparative effectiveness research.
[ via AHA News Now ]
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