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West J Med. 1990 Jul; 153(1): 40–43.
PMCID: PMC1002464
PMID: 2389575

Outcome, transport times, and costs of patients evacuated by helicopter versus fixed-wing aircraft.

F. Thomas, J. Wisham, T. P. Clemmer, J. F. Orme, Jr, and K. G. Larsen
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Abstract

We determined the differences in transport times and costs for patients transported by fixed-wing aircraft versus helicopter at ranges of 101 to 150 radial miles, where fixed-wing and helicopter in-hospital transports commonly overlap. Statistical analysis failed to show a significant difference between the trauma-care patients transported by helicopter (n = 109) and those transported by fixed-wing (n = 86) for age, injury severity score, hospital length of stay, hospital mortality, or discharge disability score. The times in returning patients to the receiving hospital by helicopter (n = 104) versus fixed-wing (n = 509) did not differ significantly. Helicopter transport costs per mile ($24), however, were 400% higher than those of fixed-wing aircraft with its associated ground ambulance transport costs ($6). Thus, helicopter transport is economically unjustified for interhospital transports exceeding 100 radial miles when an efficient fixed-wing service exists.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
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