ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: In June of 1993, the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) Quality Management Committee surveyed 240 air medical programs regarding their Quality Assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement activities. METHODS: The survey tool consisted of questions related to Quality Assurance/Continuous Quality Improvement program structure and specific Quality Assurance indicators contained in the AAMS/NFNA Quality Assurance Resource Document. Comparisons were made among fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and combined programs, for use of the Quality Assurance Resource Document, for availability of computers and for hospital-based versus profit or public service programs. RESULTS: Returned surveys totaled 148 for a 62% return rate, with most of the respondents being single hospital based programs. Ninety-three percent of those surveyed have a Quality Assurance program in place to monitor indicators, whereas 63% have also begun to include the Continuous Quality Improvement team process. Only 50% of respondents use computers in their Quality Assurance/Continuous Quality Improvement activities. CONCLUSION: Significant differences among groups were found for several Quality Assurance indicators.
Subject(s)
Air Ambulances , Quality Assurance, Health Care , Total Quality Management , Transportation of Patients/standards , Data Collection , Program Development , Transportation of Patients/organization & administration , United StatesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate critical care diagnoses and their frequency in an air transport situation. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review was done of all obstetric air transports performed by Samaritan AirEvac to tertiary hospitals in Phoenix, Arizona, from January 1, 1990, to August 31, 1991. RESULTS: In the 20-month study period, 1,541 maternal transports were performed. Critical care diagnoses were found in 360 (23.4%) of the patient. The following categories were used: hypertensive crisis, 188/360 (52%); hemorrhage, 131/360 (36%); trauma, 21/360 (6%); and respiratory compromise, 11/360 (3%). CONCLUSION: Critical care diagnoses represented about 25% of all obstetric air transports in this study. Our transport team is made up of an obstetric flight nurse and another team member (adult trauma nurse, neonatal flight nurse, flight respiratory therapist of flight paramedic). Skill in both obstetric diagnosis and management and in critical care necessary in these situations.
Subject(s)
Air Ambulances , Critical Care/statistics & numerical data , Pregnancy Complications/diagnosis , Female , Hemorrhage/diagnosis , Humans , Hypertension/diagnosis , Pregnancy , Respiratory Tract Diseases/diagnosis , Retrospective Studies , Wounds and Injuries/diagnosisABSTRACT
Emergency maternal transport of women in advanced preterm labor often involves difficult decisions about whether to transport or not. A retrospective review of maternal transports performed in northern Arizona by Samaritan Air Evac covered a 21-month period. Of the 1080 patients transported for preterm labor, 54 calls for transport (5%) were received when the patient was 7 cm or more dilated. Five women were delivered at the referring hospital and 49 were transported, none of whom delivered en route. Only 21 (39%) of them delivered in the first hour after arrival at the tertiary center. The decision to transport patients in advanced preterm labor should be based on such factors as distance between hospitals, time required to cover that distance, personnel on the transport, facilities available at the transporting hospital, gestational age, and speed with which labor has progressed.
