Who Needs an Air Ambulance

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					Who Needs an Air Ambulance?

We all hope that we never experience a trauma or medical emergency that
requires treatment. No one ever thinks they will be force to deal with a
severe or critical medical condition that requires extensive medical
treatment and care. Although we never want to be in such a circumstance,
it is important to be informed about such issues. When patients require
medical attention during transport, the typical method of travel involves
an ambulance, but in specific cases, standard medical transportation is
not enough. An air ambulance may be just what the doctor ordered.

What medical conditions and critical situations call for the use of an
air ambulance? Each case is different based on the specific medical
needs of the patient. There is no exact rule of thumb, but some basic
guidelines do exist to determine which patients require the use of an air

If the patient's doctor feels that the patient should not travel by air
with conventional airlines due to their specific medical needs, the
doctor will order travel by an air ambulance. Numerous companies and
organizations exist to safely transport patients in this way. Each
company has their own specific requirements for staff on board the
flight. Special medical circumstances may call for specific medical
teams to fly aboard the air ambulance with the patient.

Here are some examples of medical conditions that may indicate a need to
travel by air ambulance:

*Patients suffering from respiratory conditions that require ventilators

*trauma patients

*patients with neurological conditions that require intra cranial

*IABP patients that require balloon pumps

*patients with multiple IV drips

*transplant patients

*obstetric patients requiring intensive care

*NICU patients

The patients that require continuous medical monitoring and the use of
specialized medical equipment are excellent candidates for travel by air
ambulance. There is no plausible way for a patient with severe medical
conditions to travel by conventional methods while achieving comfort and
appropriate medical care.

When time is of the essence, standard flights would not be speedy enough
to safely transport a patient to their destination. Also, it is
impossible to spontaneously board a conventional flight with an entire
medical staff and equipment. For this reason, doctors and patients
choose to travel by air ambulance.

Air ambulance services are most commonly thought of as the helicopters
that fly accident victims from the scene of a car crash to the nearest
hospital that is capable of providing proper treatment for the severe
injuries sustained in the crash. On the contrary, air ambulance services
include so much more than just this sector of service.

An air ambulance may be a chopper, but it also can include planes such as
turboprops and jets.

The type of aircraft used should be determined by the patients needs, as
well as, by the distance traveled. For example, a patient should
typically be transported by a jet when they require air ambulance
transportation for distances greater than 500 miles. This is due to the
time traveled, necessary stops to refuel small planes, the patient's
comfort and stress level.

Traveling by air ambulance may not be an experience that you want to add
to your to-do list, but it may be medically necessary in the future.
Patients who require constant medical attention, the use of specific
medical equipment, or have numerous IV drips may require the use of such
services. Should the doctor feel that this specialized service is
beneficial, you will be glad that the air ambulance services are

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