Rapid Transport For Medical Patients

Call for medical transport when medical professionals trained in critical-care medicine and critical-care equipment are needed to adequately care for the patient. Clearly, cardiac patients requiring invasive procedures will benefit from rapid transport to a tertiary care center.

Other medical patients may require invasive monitoring, thrombolytics, vasopressors, blood administration, advanced airway management, a ventilator or other critical-care procedures.

Guidelines From The American College of Surgeons Call For Rapid Transport When:

• Ground transport to an appropriate facility poses a threat to the patient's recovery or ground transport is delayed due to weather or geography.
• Extrication time or road conditions will seriously delay the patient's access to advanced life support
• Motor vehicle accidents have occurred at 20 mph or more and the occupants are not wearing seat belts
• The passenger area of the motor vehicle is compressed to 18 inches
• The occupant is thrown from the vehicle
• A motor vehicle rolls over
• Another occupant in the vehicle dies
• A pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle traveling 20 mph or more
• A person falls from 20 feet or more
• Burns to chest, neck, face or perineal area.
• Any traumatic injury which requires significant fluid replacement or neurological impairment.