Defibrillator availability on rotor-wing critical care transports

Abstract 

Introduction

Defibrillation is a time-critical and life-saving intervention for patients in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. The preparation of rotor-wing critical care transport teams to manage such arrhythmias out of the transport vehicle is unclear.

Methods

A mail and telephone survey of 230 rotor-wing critical care transport programs.

Results

Transport teams take a defibrillator to the patient's side on scene flights at 23.9% of programs, on interfacility flights at 48.3%, and after off-load at the receiving hospital at 43.1% of programs. Monitor style and utilization are associated with defibrillator deployment on scene flights, interfacility flights, and at offload. The site of patient origin does not affect transport team defibrillator availability on offload.

Conclusions

It is not completely clear that defibrillators are immediately available during all phases of rotor-wing critical care transport. There are many opportunities for additional investigation.