Air Ambulances Save Lives
February 6th, 2009 Filed Under General
Air Ambulances Save Lives
Air Ambulance – MedFlight offers the following information on how Air Ambulances and MedFlight Services truly do save lives.
We have all heard the stories about people who through mechanical problems or other difficulties have had trouble with air ambulance but these stories make up a small portion of the stories relating to air ambulances. There are so many situations where air ambulances have been the difference between life and death for many people.
There are many stories out there about the dangers of flying in an air ambulance but these stories are so infrequent and the chance of being harmed while flying in an air ambulance is very minimal. However these types of media friendly stories often bury the true live saving stories of air ambulance in action. These true stories help give a person a perspective on the true value of air ambulances and the services that they provide. Some of the most popular air ambulance rescues include Sammie Newlon, Ben Bryer, and Trevor Pierce.
Sammie Newlon was a new born baby who despite a perfectly normal birth was having difficulty feeding and refused to feed for several days. The family doctor of the Newlon family told the parents of baby Sammie that there wasn�t anything to worry about. The doctor then prescribed a broad spectrum medial antibiotic for Sammie that he thought would cure the problem. However Sammie worsened over the next twenty four hours and by the time his parents called 911 Sammie was barely breathing. An air ambulance was dispatched and picked the family up within minutes and delivered him safely to the hospital. Without the service of an air ambulance it is unlikely that baby Sammie would have survived to reach the hospital.
Ben Bryer was an eighteen year old youth who was critically injured while out riding his bicycle one day in Colchester. In his accident Ben Dryer had several fractures; many puncture wounds, a critical head injury, and had lost a significant amount of blood. Ben ended up in a coma for over nine days and without the quick medical treatment he received by having an air ambulance delivery him to the emergency room within a half hour it is likely that Ben would have never woken up.
Trevor Pierce was twenty two years old when he fell from roof top when he was hanging up Christmas lights and his ladder gave way beneath him. Trevor�s injuries were very severe and paramedics were concerned about moving him by land as there was a great concern over spinal injuries and they didn�t want to worsen the situation. In the end an air ambulance was sent for and delivered Trevor to the hospital much quicker than the half an hour land journey would have been.
Air Ambulance Life Saving Stories
Guide to Air Ambulances
| By Mitchel Harad Published: 1/31/2007 |
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Air Ambulance Services: What is an Air Ambulance?
February 3rd, 2009 Filed Under General
Air Ambulance Services: What is an Air Ambulance?
Though we all tend to equate medical transportation with the military, we can’t deny that medical evacuation services are more life saving than any other mode of medical transport, to say the least. So, whether you are suffering from a heart attack or are injured while going mountain climbing, an air ambulance can indeed save you life whether you are indoors or traveling.
Air Ambulance - MedFlight offers the following article that describes in detail what an Air Ambulance Service entails.
So, what is an air ambulance? No, an air ambulance isn’t an ambulance that flies. It is simply a type of aircraft, which can be used to help people who are stuck in medically dangerous situations. These days, most air ambulances come in the form of helicopters or choppers, but in the years gone by small aircraft’s were also used as air ambulances.
The whole concept of moving the critically injured by air was started, probably simultaneously, along with the fixed-wing aircraft flight concept. Shortly after the first airplane was successfully flown by the Wright brothers, two very important US Army medical officers, Lt. A. L. Rhodes and Capt. George H. R. Gosman designed the first airplane to transports patients to medical units.
The Preferred Air Emergency Service of the 21st Century
In most injury cases, the chances of medical help being a hop, skip and a jump away are very slim. When there is need for immediate medical attention, especially if it is specialized medical care, then an air ambulance is the preferred mode of medical transport.
However, transportation is not about the only use of an air ambulance! In the past, air ambulances have played very important roles in recovery and rescue missions. In such cases, these helicopters can hover over places where people have been injured and can help by pulling them up to safety.
Most air ambulances come fully equipped with important medical equipment, but do not generally carry large quantities of these equipment’s. Since it is very important for a helicopter to fly lightly, air ambulances will be equipped with the bare minimum in medical supplies like CPR units, monitoring units and other emergency medical supplies. By doing so, critically wounded individuals can be tended to until they are transported to a better location for further treatment.
Advice and Information on Air Ambulance Services
Most air ambulance services provide operations that run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the country or internationally. A hospital advocate or patient will first contact the air ambulance operations center, where a flight coordinator will then determine the urgency and medical needs of the operation.
Once this is done, the operations center will then determine the type of ambulance that will be required. From helicopters to twin engine propellers to Lear jets, air ambulances are fully equipped with the all the latest supplies in medical transport equipment. Lear jets however, are the most common air ambulance aircraft’s used because of their flexibility, reliability, range and flight comfort. They are generally better equipped for long distances than most other air ambulances.
A medical briefing will occur and then coordination of the ground staff will be established. Medical staff will then review the patient’s history with the concerned physicians to ensure that the proper medical staff and equipment’s are onboard. The air ambulance comes complete with medically trained staff, nurses, physicians and paramedics.
Patients will be transported from ground ambulances to the air ambulance stretcher. The attending nurse will then check the patient’s vital signs prior to departing. After this, the patient will then be transported directly to the closest medical unit for further care.
Here are a couple of questions that you need to ask your prospective air ambulance service operator:
- Does the service provide a trained nurse?
- Is the stretcher FAA certified?
- Will medical oxygen be supplied to a patient in need of it?
- How are intravenous fluids hung?
- What kind of suction is provided?
- Is the medical director fully trained in all flight environment problems?
- What medical equipment’s are carried?
- What emergency supplies and drugs are on board?
- Who arranges for ground transportation?
- Are medical records kept?
Yes, air ambulances are indeed a very useful form of medical transport today. so, it is very important to know what questions to ask before you book a particular air ambulance service.
| By Natasha Bantwal Published: 12/18/2007 |
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