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(Chest. 2003;124:1937-1945.)
© 2003 American College of Chest Physicians

Air Medical Transport of Cardiac Patients*

Vidal Essebag, MD, MSc; Abdul R. Halabi, MD; Michael Churchill-Smith, MD and Sohrab Lutchmedial, MD

* From the Departments of Cardiology (Drs. Essebag and Halabi) and Internal Medicine (Dr. Churchill-Smith), McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC; and Division of Cardiology (Dr. Lutchmedial), Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB, Canada.

Correspondence to: Vidal Essebag, MD, MSc, Department of Cardiology, McGill University Health Center, 3600 Parc Ave #1203, Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 3R2; e-mail: vidal.essebag{at}mail.mcgill.ca

The air medical transport of cardiac patients is a rapidly expanding practice. For various medical, social, and economic indications, patients are being flown longer distances at commercial altitudes, including international and intercontinental flights. There are data supporting the use of short-distance helicopter flights early in the course of a cardiac event for patients needing emergent transfer for percutaneous coronary intervention or aortocoronary bypass. When considering elective long-distance air medical transport of cardiac patients for social or economic reasons, it is necessary to weigh the benefits against the potential risks of flight. A few recent studies suggest that long-distance air medical transport is safe under certain circumstances. Current guidelines for air travel after myocardial infarction do not address the use of medical escorts or air ambulances equipped with intensive care facilities. Further research using larger prospective studies is needed to better define criteria for safe long-distance air medical transport of cardiac patients.

Key Words: aeromedical transport • air ambulance • air medical transport • cardiac transport • myocardial infarction • patient transport




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