Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40448252›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2025

High-altitude HEMS missions-a retrospective analysis of 3,564 air rescue missions conducted between 2011 and 2021.

Eva Klocker, Lea Wienandts, Dario Josi, Simon Rauch, Roland Albrecht, Jürgen Knapp, Urs Pietsch

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

7 authors.

Eva Klocker *Department of Anaesthesiology, Rescue and Pain Medicine, HOCH Health Ostschweiz St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland. eva.klocker@h-och.ch.
Lea Wienandts *Department of Internal Medicine, HOCH Health Ostschweiz Altstaetten, Altstaetten, Switzerland.
Dario JosiAquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Simon RauchDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital Merano, Meran, Italy.
Roland AlbrechtSwiss Air Ambulance (Rega), Zurich, Switzerland.
Jürgen Knapp *University Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Urs Pietsch *Swiss Air Ambulance (Rega), Zurich, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMountain sport activities are being practiced by an increasing number of people: The number of tourists visiting altitudes greater than 2,500 m above sea level in the Alps has been estimated at around 40 million people per year. For this reason, however, the number of emergencies in remote areas, which can be reached most rapidly by helicopter, has also increased.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed all rescue missions conducted by the Swiss Air Ambulance (Rega) in the period 2011-2021 that were carried out at an altitude of more than 2,500 m above sea level. Demographic and epidemiological data, medical measures implemented on scene, and the on-scene time were then analyzed for both trauma and non-trauma patients. Patients were categorized based on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) score into non-injured (NACA 0), minor injured (NACA 0-3), seriously injured (NACA 4-6), deceased during mission (NACA 7), and already deceased on arrival of the HEMS team.

resultsA total of 3,564 rescue missions were analyzed. Of the patients, 66.8% were male and the vast majority (88.4%) were adults. In terms of injury level, 88.1% of the patients were minor injured, with an NACA score of 0-3, while 9.4% were seriously injured, with a score of 4-6. Patients who died in scene (NACA 7) accounted for 2.5% of cases. We observed a significant increase in the number of minor injured patients with traumatic injuries over the period of observation. Factors that significantly influenced the on-scene time included the NACA score, hoist missions, and traumatic injuries in summer.

conclusionOver the last ten years, the number of HEMS missions conducted at more than 2,500 m above sea level with non-injured and slightly injured patients has increased. The large number of HEMS missions with uninjured patients are of a preventive nature. Only around 9% of all rescue missions involved the medical treatment and rescue of seriously injured patients who required advanced medical interventions.

trial registrationEthics approval and consent to participate BASEC Nr. Req202200189.

Indexed as

Air AmbulancesAltitudeMountaineeringRescue WorkWounds and InjuriesAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSwitzerlandAlpine rescueHEMSHigh altitudeMountain medicineOn-scene time

Identifiers

PMID40448252
PMCPMC12123734

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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.