Observational studyScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2021
Helicopter transport of critical care COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands: protection against COVID-19 exposure-a challenge to critical care retrieval personnel in a novel operation.
Observational study in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Identification of risk factors and response strategies in interhospital transfer of critically ill patients with respiratory infectious diseases: a qualitative study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Haemodynamic Changes in Adult Patients Transported in Emergency Medical Helicopters. A Systematic Review.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2024Review
- Emergency Air Transport of Patients with Acute Chest Pain in the Adriatic Islands of Croatia: A Four-Year Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Observational
- Comparison of patient characteristics and long-term mortality between transferred and non-transferred COVID-19 patients in Dutch intensive care units: A national cohort study.Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica · 2022Article
- Safety during interhospital helicopter transfer of ventilated COVID-19 patients. No clinical relevant changes in vital signs including non-invasive cardiac output.Respiratory research · 2022Article
- Simultaneous interfacility transfer of multiple non-critically ill COVID-19 patients using a single vehicle: the ambulance bus experience.International journal of emergency medicine · 2022Article
- Experience of the Polish Medical Air Rescue Service During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Measures Taken to Protect Patients, Medical Staff, and Air Crew from SARS-CoV-2 Infection.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2022Article
- An Approved Landing Site (ALS) improves the logistics of interhospital transfer of critically ill patients by helicopter.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Repatriation of a Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019-Positive Patient Across Closed Borders.Air medical journalArticle
- An Updated Review of Literature for Air Medical Evacuation High-Level Containment Transport During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.Air medical journalReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDuring the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the Netherlands, the demand for intensive care beds exceeded availability within days. Initially, patients were redistributed regionally by ground transport. When transport over longer distances became necessary, we initiated a new Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operation. We hypothesize that the transport of contagious COVID-19 patients is feasible and safe for patients and HEMS personnel.
methodsIn this retrospective, single-centre observational study, flight and monitor data were used to calculate the exposure time of the retrieval team to COVID-19 patients. All the crew members (n = 18) were instructed on the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), dressing and undressing routine using buddy check supervision and cleaning procedures. All the team members were monitored for possible COVID-19 symptoms, as advised by our National Institute for Health and Environment. One month after completing the aeromedical transport all crew members were asked to donate a blood sample which was examined for the presence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
resultsFrom March 24 to May 25, 2020 the HEMS team transported 67 ventilated critical care COVID-19 patients. The exposure time was 7451 min (124 h and 11 min). One HEMS member reported pneumonia 6 weeks before the start of the patient transport. He tested positive for IgG SARS-CoV-2 by serology testing. We speculate that he was infected before the start of the operation; irrefutable evidence is lacking to support this claim because we did not perform serology testing before this operation started.
conclusionOccupational COVID-19 exposure during helicopter transport of ventilated critical care COVID-19 patients can be performed safely when proper PPE is applied.
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