Plasma catecholamine levels in patients transported by helicopter for acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris.

Fourteen patients with either acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris were transported by helicopter air ambulance to North Carolina Baptist Hospital during a 1-month period. Six patients had preflight and inflight plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels determined. All 14 patients were monitored for ventricular arrhythmias. The mean inflight plasma epinephrine level was significantly higher than the mean preflight level (3455 v 841 pg/mL, P less than .005). There was also a trend toward higher inflight norepinephrine levels; however, this increase was not statistically significant. No patient had a monitored ventricular arrhythmia. These findings suggest that helicopter transport of cardiac patients may be associated with significant patient stress, as reflected by high inflight catecholamine levels. Further study with a larger population of patients is needed to determine whether or not an increased incidence of inflight ventricular arrhythmias is associated with these catecholamine changes.