Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30755241›Full record

Observational studyScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2019

Impact of icing weather conditions on the patients in helicopter emergency medical service: a prospective study from Northern Finland.

Ilkka Pulkkinen, Jari Pirnes, Ari Rissanen, Päivi Laukkanen-Nevala

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. What trauma patients need: the European dilemma.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2024
    Review
  4. Locating helicopter ambulance bases in Iceland: efficient and fair solutions.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ilkka PulkkinenFinnHEMS Research and Development Unit, Vantaa, Finland. ilkka.pulkkinen@lshp.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9027-9759
Jari PirnesFinnHEMS Research and Development Unit, Vantaa, Finland.
Ari RissanenFinnHEMS 51, Lapland HEMS Unit, Lentoasemankuja 18, 96930, Rovaniemi, Finland.
Päivi Laukkanen-NevalaFinnHEMS Research and Development Unit, Vantaa, Finland.
National Bureau of Investigation · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA high number of denied or cancelled HEMS missions are caused by poor weather conditions especially during winter season. Furthermore, many helicopter manufacturers have denied their helicopters to be operated in known icing conditions. Icing is a widely known phenomenon in aviation, but there is a lack of evidence about its influence on HEMS operations and patients.

methodsA prospective observational study of HEMS missions in Northern Finland was conducted over a 1-year period in 2017. A patient was included in the study when the use of helicopter was denied or cancelled due to icing weather conditions. Patients were categorised into two groups based on whether definitive treatment was delayed or not according to previously defined end-points.

resultsDuring the study period the Finnish northernmost HEMS unit received 1940 missions. A total of 391 missions (20%) could not be operated by helicopter because of poor weather conditions. In 142 of these missions (36%) icing was one of the limiting weather factors. The year-round incidence of icing was 7.3/100 missions. A total of 57 patients were included in the analysis. Icing weather conditions, resulting in denied helicopter flights, caused a delay in definitive treatment for 21 patients (37%). Definitive treatment was more often delayed in trauma and internal medicine patients than in neurological patients. Nevertheless, the patients whose definitive treatment was delayed were located closer to the hospital. The estimated time that would have been saved by helicopter transport was more than 60 min for 10 patients with delayed treatment.

conclusionsIn this study the incidence of icing weather conditions was substantial compared to all HEMS missions in year 2017. The delay in definitive treatment was accentuated among trauma and internal medicine patients. During the 1-year study period many patients whose definitive treatment was delayed would have had a notable (> 60 min) time saved by helicopter transport. A helicopter equipped with an adequate ice protection system for the weather conditions in Northern Finland would have shortened the delay in patients' definitive treatment significantly.

Indexed as

Air AmbulancesEmergency Medical ServicesWeatherAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleFinlandHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesSeasonsTime-to-TreatmentDelay in definitive treatmentHelicopter emergency medical service (HEMS)Icing weather conditions

Identifiers

PMID30755241
PMCPMC6373056
OpenAlexW2941659959

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.