ArticleScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2020
Intubation during a medevac flight: safety and effect on total prehospital time in the helicopter emergency medical service system.
Article in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of endotracheal intubation in helicopter cabin vs. ground: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Mapping the internationally reported evidence on physician-staffed helicopter transport in Japan: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Association between prehospital time and mortality in severe trauma: a restricted cubic spline analysis from a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service.BMC emergency medicine · 2026Article
- A hybrid intelligent optimization algorithm combining weighted K-means clustering and improved ABC for optimal deployment of prehospital emergency heliports.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Factors Associated with Prolonged Prehospital On-Site Time in Adult Trauma Patients: A Nationwide Observational Study in Japan.JMA journal · 2026Article
- Confined space airway management: a narrative review.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Review
- "Reality shock"-a qualitative exploration of helicopter emergency medical services nurses' challenges and experiences in China.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Management of critically ill patients in austere environments: good clinical practice by the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI).Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care · 2024Review
- Accuracy between prehospital and hospital diagnosis in helicopter emergency medical services and its consequences for trauma care.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2024Article
- Novel and innovative resuscitation systems in Japan.Resuscitation plus · 2024Review
- Factors Associated with an Increase in On-Site Time of Pediatric Trauma Patients in a Prehospital Setting: A Nationwide Observational Study in Japan.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Prehospital Airway Management for Trauma Patients by First Responders in Six Sub-Saharan African Countries and Five Other Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review.World journal of surgery · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) commonly intubates patients who require advanced airway support prior to takeoff. In-flight intubation (IFI) is avoided because it is considered difficult due to limited space, difficulty communicating, and vibration in flight. However, IFI may shorten the total prehospital time. We tested whether IFI can be performed safely by the HEMS.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study in adult patients transported from 2010 to 2017 who received prehospital, non-emergent intubation from a single HEMS. We divided the cohort in two groups, patients intubated during flight (flight group, FG) and patients intubated before takeoff (ground group, GG). The primary outcome was the proportion of successful intubations. Secondary outcomes included total prehospital time and the incidence of complications.
resultsWe analyzed 376 patients transported during the study period, 192 patients in the FG and 184 patients in the GG. The intubation success rate did not differ between the two groups (FG 189/192 [98.4%] vs. GG 179/184 [97.3%], p = 0.50). There were also no differences in hypoxia (FG 4/117 [3.4%] vs. GG 4/95 [4.2%], p = 1.00) or hypotension (FG 6/117 [5.1%] vs. GG 5/95 [5.3%], p = 1.00) between the two groups. Scene time and total prehospital time were shorter in the FG (scene time 7 min vs. 14 min, p < 0.001; total prehospital time 33.5 min vs. 40.0 min, p < 0.001).
conclusionsIFI was safely performed with high success rates, similar to intubation on the ground, without increasing the risk of hypoxia or hypotension. IFI by experienced providers shortened transportation time, which may improve patient outcomes.
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