Air Ambulance Services – Could it Save Lives?

You might get sick abroad or get injured during a trip to a place far-away from your hometown, you never know! Whatever the case and wherever a patient including jungles, cruise ports and other foreign lands, emergency air ambulance services can be a life saver because they provide timely medial aid and also transport to the nearest medical center for quick help.

What is an Air Ambulance Service?

Air medical services use air transportation to take a serious patient to the nearest healthcare center and ensure they get timely medical attention. Such rescue campaigns are normally carried out with help of a helicopter or jet aircraft.

Do Air ambulance Services Really Save Lives?

They doubtless do. Latest studies reveal that patients taken to healthcare centers through an aircraft or helicopter have shown significantly higher rate of survival as compared to those who are brought via on ground transport. What is actually interesting is that no matter how serious a patient is most patients rescued with air ambulance services were saved!

A research report published in Critical Care, an open access journal suggests that air ambulance services are more effective than other emergency services and the benefits are worth the investment.

So, Why Should One Rely on Air Ambulance Services?

A study carried out by the TraumaRegister DGU of the German Society evaluated 13,000 patients to test the effectiveness of air ambulance services. A third of the patients were taken to the hospital by air ambulances, whereas the rest were transported by on ground transportation. Also, the patients transported through air had more severe injuries including abdominal and chest injuries mostly, and required more extensive treatment compared to the other group of patients.

Quite amusingly, patients transported to hospital via air showed a higher survival rate compared to those transported by road! Since both the groups of patients were given the same quality of diagnosis and treatment in the hospital, it was the method of transportation that made the real difference.

Major Characteristics of Best Air Ambulance Services

Beside-to-Beside Medical Assistance

A quality air ambulance service provider knows that a safe trip means much more than merely traveling the distance! In fact, they take it as their responsibility to take a patient to the desired location with due care and attention. Beside-to-beside medical assistance is the first and most important characteristic of a quality air ambulance service provider.

An Expert Medical Professional

A team of medical professionals headed by an expert physician is always there to take a good care of all medical needs of the patient. They always recommend a certified physician carrying best medical equipment and medications including emergency medicine. A good air ambulance service provider also trains their entire staff on basic medical measures.

Most Advanced Medical Equipment

An ideal air ambulance features all advanced medical equipment and medications that maybe required for immediate treatment. The ambulance equipment must include a cardiac monitor, ventilator, intubation equipment, oxygen, stretchers, pumps and ACLS drugs. It is equally important to keep the supply of primary antibiotics to prevent bacterial and parasitic infection.

Patient Always First

A good air ambulance service provider always puts the patient first. This includes everything from being responsible for taking a patient safely from one location to their destination to provide on ground transportation later.