Citation

Mann NC, Pinkney KA, Price DD, Rowland DJ, Arthur M, Hedges JR, Mullins RJ. Acad. Emerg. Med. 2002; 9(7): 694-698.

Affiliation

Intermountain Injury Control Research Center, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA. clay.mann@hsc.utah.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12093709

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated variation in mortality among interfacility transfers three years before and after discontinuation of a rotor-wing transport service. METHODS: A retrospective cohort assessment was conducted among severely injured patients transferred from four rural hospitals to a single tertiary center in regions with continued versus discontinued rotor-wing service. Thirty-day mortality following discharge from the receiving tertiary facility served as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: Discontinuation of rotor-wing transport decreased interfacility transfers and increased transfer time. Transferred patients were four times more likely to die after (compared with before) rotor-wing service was discontinued (p = 0.05). No difference was noted in the region with continued rotor-wing service [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, p = 0.47]. CONCLUSIONS: Injury mortality increased with loss of air transport for interfacility transfer in a rural area.

Language: en