A.N. Ringburg

Beneficial effect of helicopter emergency medical services on survival of severely injured patients.

In Rotterdam, the Netherlands, a helicopter‐transported medical team (HMT), staffed with a trauma physician, provides additional therapeutic options at the scene of injury. This study evaluated the influence of the HMT on the chance of survival of severely injured trauma victims.

Prevalence and prognostic factors of disability after major trauma.

BACKGROUND The primary aim of this study was to assess the health-related quality of life of survivors of severe trauma 1 year after injury, specified according to all the separate dimensions of the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the Health Utilities Index (HUI). METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted in which all severely injured trauma patients presented at a Level I trauma center were included. After 12 months, the EQ-5D, HUI2 and HUI3 were used to analyze the health status. RESULTS Follow-up assessments were obtained from 246 patients (response rate, 68%). The overall population EQ-5D (median) utility score was 0.73 (EQ-5D Dutch general population norm, 0.88). HUI2, HUI3, and EQ-5D Visual Analog Scale scores were 0.81, 0.65, and 70, respectively. Eighteen percent had at least one functional limitation 1 year after trauma, and 60% reported functional limitations on two or more domains using the EQ-5D. The female gender and comorbidity were significant independent predictors of disability. CONCLUSION Functional outcome and quality of life of survivors of severe injury have not returned to normal 1 year after trauma. The prevalence of specific limitations in this population is very high (40-70%). Female gender and comorbidity are predictors of long-term disability.

Validity of helicopter emergency medical services dispatch criteria for traumatic injuries: a systematic review

Objective. This review provides an overview of the validity of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) dispatch criteria for severely injured patients. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed. English written and peer-reviewed publications on HEMS dispatch criteria were included. Results. Thirty-four publications were included. Five manuscripts discussed accuracy of HEMS dispatch criteria. Criteria based upon Mechanism of Injury (MOI) have a positive predictive value (PPV) of 27%. Criteria based upon the anatomy of injury combined with MOI as a group, result in an undertriage of 13% and a considerable overtriage. The criterion ‘loss of consciousness’ has a sensitivity of 93–98% and a specificity of 85–96%. Criteria based on age and/or comorbidity have a poor sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion. Only 5 studies described HEMS dispatch criteria validity. HEMS dispatch based on consciousness criteria seems promising. MOI criteria lack accuracy and will lead to significant overtriage. The first categories needing revision are MOI and age/comorbidity.

Prehospital interventions: time wasted or time saved? An observational cohort study of management in initial trauma care

Objective: Preclinical actions in the primary assessment of victims of blunt trauma may prolong the time to definitive clinical care. The aim of this study was to examine the duration of performed interventions and to study the effect of on-scene time (OST) and interventions performed before admission to hospital on hospital resuscitation time. Methods: 147 consecutive patients with high-energy blunt trauma aged ⩾15 years were studied prospectively. Prehospital time intervals and interventions were documented and compared with hospital data collected from continuous digital video registration. Analyses were performed with correction for injury severity and type of prehospital medical assistance (emergency medical services (EMS) versus physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS)). Results: Primary survey and initial treatment were initiated and completed within 1 h of arrival of the EMS. 83% of this “golden hour” elapsed out of hospital and 81% (n = 224) of all interventions (n = 275) were carried out before admission to hospital. An increase in the number of prehospital interventions was associated with an increased OST (p<0.001). Subanalyses showed no such correlation in the HEMS group. The HEMS group had a longer mean OST than the EMS group (p<0.001) with relatively more prehospital interventions (p<0.001) and a shorter mean in-hospital primary survey time with fewer in-hospital interventions. Overall, OST and the number of prehospital interventions were not related to in-hospital primary survey time and interventions. Conclusion: For most trauma patients the initial life- and limb-saving care is achieved within the “golden hour”. Prehospital treatment occupies most of the golden hour. More prehospital interventions were performed with HEMS than with EMS only, but the higher number of interventions did not result in a longer OST with HEMS. Although the numbers of subsequent in-hospital interventions may be lower, no reduction in time in hospital may be expected from the interventions performed before hospital admission.

Cost‐effectiveness and quality‐of‐life analysis of physician‐staffed helicopter emergency medical services

The long‐term health outcomes and costs of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) assistance remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of HEMS assistance compared with emergency medical services (EMS).

Prevalence rate, predictors and long-term course of probable posttraumatic stress disorder after major trauma: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundAmong trauma patients relatively high prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found. To identify opportunities for prevention and early treatment, predictors and course of PTSD need to be investigated. Long-term follow-up studies of injury patients may help gain more insight into the course of PTSD and subgroups at risk for PTSD. The aim of our long-term prospective cohort study was to assess the prevalence rate and predictors, including pre-hospital trauma care (assistance of physician staffed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at the scene of the accident), of probable PTSD in a sample of major trauma patients at one and two years after injury. The second aim was to assess the long-term course of probable PTSD following injury.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted of 332 major trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 16 or higher. We used data from the hospital trauma registry and self-assessment surveys that included the Impact of Event Scale (IES) to measure probable PTSD symptoms. An IES-score of 35 or higher was used as indication for the presence of probable PTSD.ResultsOne year after injury measurements of 226 major trauma patients were obtained (response rate 68%). Of these patients 23% had an IES-score of 35 or higher, indicating probable PTSD. At two years after trauma the prevalence rate of probable PTSD was 20%. Female gender and co-morbid disease were strong predictors of probable PTSD one year following injury, whereas minor to moderate head injury and injury of the extremities (AIS less than 3) were strong predictors of this disorder at two year follow-up. Of the patients with probable PTSD at one year follow-up 79% had persistent PTSD symptoms a year later.ConclusionsUp to two years after injury probable PTSD is highly prevalent in a population of patients with major trauma. The majority of patients suffered from prolonged effects of PTSD, underlining the importance of prevention, early detection, and treatment of injury-related PTSD.

Willingness to Pay for Lives Saved by Helicopter Emergency Medical Services

Introduction. Currently, policy makers in the Netherlands are discussing the possibility to expand the availability of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) from 12 hours to 24 hours per day. For this, the preferences of the general public towards both the positive effects and negative consequences of HEMS should be taken into account. Therefore, the willingness to pay (WTP) for lives saved by HEMS was calculated. Methods. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was performed in order to explore the preferences of respondents towards (expansion of) HEMS availability. The attributes: costs (for HEMS) per household number of additional lives saved (by HEMS), number of noise disturbances (caused by HEMS) during day time or night time were used. A written questionnaire was presented to 150 individuals by convenience sampling. Result. One hundred and thirty-six (91%) of the 150 individuals completed the DCE questionnaire. The marginal WTP for one additional life saved (in a month) was 3.43 (95% CI; 2.96–3.90) per month per household. Overall, the WTP for expansion to a 24-hour availability of HEMS can therefore be estimated at 12.29 (∼ US

Inventarisatiestudie naar de behoefte aan assistentie door het Mobiel Medisch Team in de avond en nacht

17.50) per household per month. Conclusion. The WTP derived from this study is by far exceeding the 1–1.5 Million-euro necessary per HEMS per year for the expansion from a daytime HEMS to a 24-h availability in the Netherlands. Respondents are willing to pay for lives saved by HEMS in spite of increases in flights and concurrent noise disturbances. These results may be helpful for the decision-making process, and may provide a positive argument for the expansion of HEMS availability.

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS): Impact on on-scene times

Inleiding. Tot 2005 kon men uitsluitend gedurende de dag een beroep doen op professionele aanvullende prehospitale hulpverlening. In 2005 ontstond een voor Nederland unieke situatie waarbij het Mobiel Medisch Team (MMT) ook ’s nachts paraat inzetbaar was. Het doel van deze studie was inzicht te krijgen in de kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve aspecten van grondgebonden MMT-inzetten in de nacht, tussen 19.00 en 7.00 uur.Methode. In een beschrijvend cohortonderzoek werden alle patienten geincludeerd voor wie in 2005 tussen 19.00 en 7.00 uur MMT-assistentie werd gevraagd in de regio Zuidwest-Nederland. Van de geincludeerde patienten werden prospectief (pre)hospitale data gedocumenteerd en na een jaar geanalyseerd.Resultaten. Gedurende de studieperiode werd in de avond en nacht 235 keer om assistentie gevraagd, waarvan 69 aanvragen werden geannuleerd. 67 % van deze nachtelijke inzetten vond plaats op basis van de inzetcriteria die gebaseerd zijn op de aard van het ongeval, en 33% op basis van de toestand van de patient. 63 % van de inzetten vond plaats tussen 19.00 uur en middernacht. De mediane Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 10 (4-25) met een mortaliteit van 16%. 23 % van de patienten werd geintubeerd.Conclusie. Deze studie laat zien dat er ook gedurende de avond en nacht aanzienlijke behoefte is aan gespecialiseerde medische hulp ter aanvulling op de ambulancezorg. De kwalitatieve behoefte aan zorg is vergelijkbaar met de zorgvraag overdag. Het handelen van het nachtelijk grondgebonden MMT was potentieel levensreddend. Extrapolatie van deze regionale resultaten levert een behoefteraming op van jaarlijks 505 daadwerkelijke MMT-assistenties in heel Nederland tussen 19.00 uur en 7.00 uur.