Interhospital transfers by helicopter: the first 50 patients of the Careflight project.

An interhospital helicopter transfer service was set up using a dedicated helicopter fitted with medical equipment and staffed by anaesthetists. The system proved to be safe and practical. Fifty patients were referred from 38 hospitals throughout the UK, with 84% of transfers preplanned. Patients were transferred a mean distance of 118 miles (range 35-397 miles) and there was no deterioration during transfer as measured by pre and post transfer sickness scores. Twenty-eight per cent of cases could not have been practically transferred by conventional means. The death rate of 20% was lower than that reported for specially equipped and staffed land transfer systems, which may indicate less physiological deterioration in the critically ill compared to road transfer. Dedicated helicopter transfer resulted in a 50% survival rate in patients with a sickness score over 18, a group found not to survive after land transfer. There was no correlation between distance moved and outcome. A helicopter transfer system using suitable equipment and staff is a practical and safe method of moving critically ill patients between hospitals, and may be preferable to land transfer for distances in excess of 25 miles.