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| Flying In An Air Ambulance Is Oftentimes A Life Or Death Decision |
Air ambulance services have saved the lives of countless individuals since the first such flight took place back in 1928. Today, government institutions, private enterprises and everyday people just like you rely on the speed and expertise that only the air ambulance system can provide.
When life is in peril, and transportation via other modes simply won’t be adequate, it’s good to know that there is an air ambulance company standing by, ready to save lives. You’ve probably heard stories about accident victims being transported by helicopter or by aircraft to trauma centers. You many have even seen this type of transportation in action. In this type of situation, emotions run high and professionals are needed – stat!
Air ambulances rise above it all
When an air ambulance gets called to the accident scene, it means the individual has sustained significant injuries, and most often, those injuries are life-threatening. When that’s the case, the patient has no time to wait while a ground ambulance makes its way across town, darting in and out of traffic all along the journey towards help.
In order to make a difference in a patient’s predicament, an air ambulance needs to have onboard the right equipment to effectively deal with the patient’s particular injuries. That’s a tall order, yet it’s one that most always works to the patient’s benefit. Ensuring that the right air ambulance arrives on the scene literally can make the difference between life and death.
Air ambulance environments present unique challenges
Depending on the circumstances, the patient may be transported on a jet, flying as high as a commercial airliner. Therefore, the transfer from ground to air entails a whole new transfer of responsibility. Once onboard an air ambulance, the patient will need to be stabilized and the environment will need to be prepared for flight. That’s why it’s important for the medical staff onboard to have additional medical training. They need to be prepared to deal with the types of changes that may result in flight such as the change in air pressure, humidity, gravity, oxygen levels and turbulence.
Here are a few examples of changes a patient might experience onboard. The lower humidity inside the aircraft cabin might prevent the free flow of pulmonary secretions which may lead to plugging up the airways. An eye injury might require a patient’s head to be raised and/or immobilized and might also require a change in cabin pressure. Head injury patients likewise will need their heads elevated. Aircraft transporting patients being administered 100% oxygen need to fly at lower than normal altitudes.
Already emotionally distraught, what can complicate matters the most while on an air ambulance is a patient’s fear of flying. Being forced onto a plane, even in a life-or-death situation, can dramatically alter a patient’s vital signs even more that they may already be altered, making it more important than ever for air ambulance medical staff to know what they’re doing.
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