Use of an Air Ambulance System Improves Time to Treatment of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Noritake Hata; Nobuaki Kobayashi; Takahiro Imaizumi; Shinya Yokoyama; Takuro Shinada; Jun Tanabe; Kunito Shiiba; Yuichirou Suzuki; Hisashi Matsumoto; Kunihiro Mashiko

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.45.1399

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Use of an Air Ambulance System Improves Time to Treatment of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Noritake Hata, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Takahiro Imaizumi, Shinya Yokoyama, Takuro Shinada, Jun Tanabe, Kunito Shiiba, Yuichirou Suzuki, Hisashi Matsumoto, Kunihiro Mashiko

Author information

Noritake Hata
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Nobuaki Kobayashi
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Takahiro Imaizumi
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Shinya Yokoyama
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Takuro Shinada
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Jun Tanabe
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Kunito Shiiba
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Yuichirou Suzuki
Intensive Care Unit, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Hisashi Matsumoto
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School
Kunihiro Mashiko
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Nippon Medical School

Keywords: Myocardial infarction, air ambulance, helicopter, coronary intervention, prehospital delay

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2006 Volume 45 Issue 2 Pages 45-50

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.45.1399

Details

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify whether a helicopter ambulance system (doctor helicopter system; DHS) could shorten the time interval to coronary intervention in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in comparison with ground ambulance (GA).
Methods: The time from the emergency call to coronary angiography (CAG time) or to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI time), and the inhospital outcome were evaluated in 76 AMI patients. Twenty patients were transported by DHS, and the other 56 were by GA.
Results: Both CAG time and PCI time were significantly shorter in the DHS (98.8+/-29.2 min, and 169.6+/-57.4 min) than those of the GA (126.6+/-48.7 min, and 203.2+/-57.0 min; p<0.05) group. Inhospital mortality was lower in the DHS (5.0%) versus the GA (10.7%) group.
Conclusion: Use of DHS shortened the time interval to coronary intervention and also improved the inhospital prognosis of AMI patients.

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