The demand for air ambulance services is surging worldwide due to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Innovative medical devices and accessories fitted on ambulance flights help provide pre-hospital emergency care to patients. Customers should always consider their safety record when choosing an air ambulance company.
Medications
Air ambulances rely on clear lines of communication and coordination between their team, ground emergency services, and medical facilities to ensure a seamless patient handover upon arrival. This is especially important for long-distance flights that require multiple stops.
For example, a patient with respiratory problems must be transferred from the aircraft to a resuscitation room in the hospital for ongoing care and monitoring. This transfer is known as repatriation.
Some air ambulance companies are equipping their aircraft with devices developed by ESA to live stream patient data—such as electrocardiogram, body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure—directly to the hospital doctors who will take over treatment. This could help avoid unnecessary flight diversions and allow medics to monitor patients more closely.
Ventilators
Air ambulances are medically staffed and equipped helicopters or airplanes that transport patients from an accident site to a hospital or between hospitals, allowing them to receive medical care at a specialized facility. They may also be used to transport organs for transplant.
Air Ambulances are commonly utilized for people with severe injuries or illnesses who cannot travel long distances on commercial flights. They can be fixed-wing or helicopter-based and are typically managed by companies or cities with emergency management systems.
A typical medevac flight is staffed with a highly trained team of medical personnel specializing in critical care transport. They will use equipment like ventilators to ensure oxygen levels remain stable for the patient during the transfer. They also use defibrillators to deliver controlled electric shocks in case of a cardiac emergency.
ECGs
Unlike ground ambulances, air ambulances are medically staffed and equipped. They provide patients with care in flight and are sometimes referred to as medevac or casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) aircraft.
The first step in any medevac begins with a skilled medical evaluation. This evaluation determines whether or not a patient needs to be evacuated by air. Dispatchers then make a plan that includes crucial factors such as the patient’s condition and the distance to be traveled.
Air ambulances are frequently dispatched for patients requiring time-critical transport or specialist medical treatment that cannot be provided locally. This is why the specialized medical equipment on these aircraft must be in excellent working order. This is especially true for the ECGs used to monitor heart activity.
Monitoring Devices
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have used an air ambulance service to travel overseas or to a different country. However, you must carefully select an exemplary service for your needs. Check whether the company has the requisite accreditations and certifications from governing bodies. In addition, look into the flight crew and medical team to ensure they are qualified and certified.
An air ambulance company carries out medical and casualty evacuations (CASEVAC). They have specialized aircraft, equipment, and medical teams that provide care in flight. Hospital-owned operations, government services, or private companies typically contract with health institutions. They compete based on price, airplane availability, fleet configuration, experience, and medical capability. Some also offer ground ambulances to transport patients from their current location to the aircraft.
Stretchers
Depending on the patient’s condition, an air ambulance can be flown on a private aircraft or a commercial airliner. Travel Care Air flight coordinators work closely with hospitals, emergency services, and international airports to ensure seamless patient transport and continuity of care.
When medical transport is a patient’s best option, our Medevac service utilizes stretcher-equipped commercial airlines to provide an affordable alternative for patients with stable conditions. Our commercial airline medical transports are cheaper than a traditional helicopter air ambulance and can be faster and more convenient for the patient.
The aircraft used for these transports have two double stretchers, allowing a physician and a flight nurse or paramedic to fly on every trip. Many Lear jets can also accommodate stretchers and seating for family members and friends traveling with a patient.
