Rapid response air medical evacuation by civilian HEMS crew of critical patients during COVID-19 outbreak – First Fixed Points


Submitted: 26 September 2020
Accepted: 13 November 2020
Published: 23 December 2020
Abstract Views: 966
PDF: 575
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Authors

  • Mauro Del Romano Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Lorenzo Ciapessoni Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Francesca Di Mola Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Gabriele Romanò Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Massimo Gavezzotti Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Marcello Rigamonti Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Monica Carnelli Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Roberto Cappelletti Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Elena Sala Peup Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Edgardo Orlandi Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Guido Francesco Villa Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Servizio regionale di elisoccorso, base di Villa Guardia; AAT 118 Como, Italy.
  • Giordana Manuel Helicopter pilots, Babcock Mission Critical Service Italia S.p.A., Italy.
  • Walter Ponzoni Helicopter pilots, Babcock Mission Critical Service Italia S.p.A., Italy.

The Covid-19 emergency requires a shared plan for the longrange helicopter transfer of patients affected by the virus in order to reduce the overload of intensive care units. To date, there is limited peer reviewed literature on aeromedical transport of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases, most of it is military, and none deals specifically with patients affected by Covid- 19. To meet this need, we propose reference criteria regarding preflight, in-flight and post-flight patient management and helicopter sanitization.


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Del Romano, M., Ciapessoni, L., Di Mola, F. ., Romanò, G., Gavezzotti, M., Rigamonti, M., Carnelli, M., Cappelletti, R., Peup, E. S., Orlandi, E., Villa, G. F., Manuel, G., & Ponzoni, W. (2020). Rapid response air medical evacuation by civilian HEMS crew of critical patients during COVID-19 outbreak – First Fixed Points. Emergency Care Journal, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2020.9373

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