Medical escort
Encyclopedia
Medical escort is a non-emergency medical service provided by air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....

, medical escort companies and at times self employed Medical escort freelancers, which typically work for a Medical Company.

Cost effectiveness comes from using Commercial aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

 first and business class chairs, but on some occasions an airline stretcher
Stretcher
A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....

 will be used if that patient is unable to sit up for landing and take off. Several rows of seating in the back of the plane allow for a medical stretcher
Stretcher
A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....

 to do a non-emergency medical transport. Medical escort crews are supplied with equipment that enables them to provide medical treatment to a non emergency patient. Common equipment for Medical escort services includes basic medication
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...

, monitoring unit, and CPR equipment

Some programs provide the full spectrum of medical professionals, including certified paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...

s, critical care nurses, Respiratory Therapists and physicians. Receiving physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

s consult with the referring physician to jointly determine the most appropriate level of care and transportation.

Flight crews

The medical crew of an air medical escort varies depending on country, area, service provider and by type of air medical Services.Commercial airliners are most likely to be used to transport patients, and the crew may consist of Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...

s, Paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...

s, flight nurses, a Respiratory Therapist, or in some cases, a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

. Those services with a primary focus on non Emergency care transport are more likely to be staffed by paramedic and or a nurses. In these cases, the crew generally consists of a specially-trained advance care paramedic or nurse.

Medical control

The nature of the air operation will frequently determine the type of medical control required. In most cases, the available skill set of a typical paramedic. As a result, those operating in this environment will often be permitted to exercise more latitude in medical decision-making. Most systems operate almost entirely off-line, using protocols for almost all procedures and only resorting to on-line medical control when protocols have been exhausted. Some Medical escort operations have full-time, on-site medical directors with pertinent backgrounds

Equipment and interiors

All commercial aircraft can be used for air medical escort, aircraft are equipped with basic life support equipment and advanced life support Drugs in addition to all equipment and medications take by team .

Challenges

The challenge in most air medical escort operations, are the fellow passengers,the amounts of working space, both of which create significant issues for the provision of ongoing care.While in flight the entire patient will be physically accessible. Although some companies have adapted many techniques and procedures to minimize the effect on other passengers and the overall safety and well being of the patients flying on commercial.

See also

  • Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom
    Air Ambulances in the United Kingdom
    There are a number of air ambulance services in the United Kingdom using either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. Thirty helicopters, all operated by commercial companies and funded by charitable organisations, cover England and Wales...

  • Air Ambulances in the United States
    Air Ambulances in the United States
    -List of air ambulances:The following is a list of notable Air Ambulances in the United States:* Acadian Ambulance & Air Med Services - Headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana,covers most of the state of Louisiana and parts of western Mississippi...


  • Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems
    Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems
    The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems , is an independent, non-profit agency which audits and accredits fixed-wing and rotary wing air medical transport services as well as ground inter-facility critical care services in the U.S. to a set of industry-established criteria....



External links

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