When to Send an Emergency Medical Helicopter

Rapid transport for trauma patients

Guidelines from the American College of Surgeons call for rapid transport when:

• Ground transport to an appropriate facility poses a threat to the patient's recovery
• Extraction time or road conditions will seriously delay the patient's access to advanced life support
• Motor vehicle accidents have occurred at 20 mph or more and the occupants are not wearing seat belts
• The passenger area of the motor vehicle is compressed to 18 inches
• The occupant is thrown from the vehicle
• A motor vehicle rolls over
• Another occupant in the vehicle dies
• A pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle traveling 20 mph or more
• A person falls from 20 feet or more

Rapid transport for medical patients

Medical transport should be called when medical professionals trained in critical-care medicine and critical-care equipment are needed to adequately care for the patient. The patient could require invasive monitoring, thrombolytics, vasopressers, blood administration, advanced airway management, a ventilator or other critical-care procedures.