1. Collective aeromedical transport of COVID-19 critically ill patients in Europe: A retrospective study
- Author
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Julia Di Filippo, Jean Turc, Berangère Distinguin, Raphael Paris, Violaine Muller, Mathieu Boutonnet, Lionel Koch, Sophie Murris, Henri-Louis Dupre, and Madeleine Beaussac
- Subjects
Male ,MoRPHEE, Module de Réanimation pour Patient à Haute Elongation d’Evacuation ,ARDS ,Time Factors ,medicine.medical_treatment ,PEEP, positive end-expiratory pressure ,Disease ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,Norepinephrine ,0302 clinical medicine ,Mechanical ventilation ,Pandemic ,MEDEVAC, medical evacuation ,030212 general & internal medicine ,COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 ,Respiratory Distress Syndrome ,Acute respiratory distress syndrome ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,ICU, intensive care unit ,Europe ,Intensive Care Units ,Female ,Original Article ,Adrenergic alpha-Agonists ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Critical Illness ,03 medical and health sciences ,Intensive care ,medicine ,Humans ,Aeromedical evacuation ,Interhospital transport ,ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,business.industry ,Critically ill ,COVID-19 ,030208 emergency & critical care medicine ,Retrospective cohort study ,Air Ambulances ,SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment ,medicine.disease ,Respiration, Artificial ,Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine ,SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ,Emergency medicine ,business ,PBW, predicted body weight - Abstract
Background In early 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak has posed the risk of critical care resources overload in every affected country. Collective interhospital transport of critically ill COVID-19 patients as a way to mitigate the localised pressure from overloaded intensive care units at a national or international level has not been reported yet. The aim of this study was to provide descriptive data about the first six collective aeromedical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of COVID-19 patients performed within Europe. Methods This retrospective study included all adult patients transported by the first six collective MEDEVAC missions for COVID-19 patients performed within Europe on the 18th, 21st, 24th, 27th, 31st of March and the 3rd of April 2020. Results Thirty-six patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were transported aboard six MEDEVAC missions. The median duration of mechanical ventilation in ICU before transportation was 4 days (3−5.25). The median PaO2/FiO2 ratio obtained before, during the flight and at day 1 after the transport was 180 mmHg (156–202,5), 143 mmHg (118,75–184,75) and 174 mmHg (129,5–205,5), respectively, with no significant difference. The median norepinephrine infusion rate observed before, during the flight and at day 1 after the transport was 0,08 µg/kg-1. min-1 (0,00-0,20), 0,08 (0,00-0,25), and 0,07 (0,03-0,18), respectively, with no significant difference. No life-threatening event was reported. Conclusion Collective aero-MEDEVAC of COVID-19 critically ill patients could provide a reliable solution to help control the burden of the disease at a national or international level.
- Published
- 2020