Air evacuation of patients with head injuries.

Abstract

Abstract : Physicians from the School of Aerospace Medicine observed results of air evacuation by modern pressurized aircraft of 47 patients with varied head injuries. Problems related to flying were minimal. Motion sickness, manifested by vomiting, occurred in only 1 patient. Many patients were critically ill and required complex in-flight nursing care. In selection of patients for air evacuation, the hazards of transporting patients with pneumocephalus and pneumothorax must be considered. It may be necessary, also, to perform tracheotomy in preparing the comatose patient for flight. Pressurized aircraft have minimized the effects of changing ambient pressure on trapped air collections and the problems of hypoxia and motion sickness. For many patients studied in this series, air evacuation was a lifesaving measure which brought the neurosurgeon within a few hours of the general physician's doorstep.