1. Safety of helicopter transport in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
- Author
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Ezquerra-Osorio, Alejandro, Arias-Mendoza, Alexandra, Robles-Ledesma, Mariana, Cruz-Martínez, Jesús E., Nájera-Rojas, Nitzha A., de los Ríos-Arce, Luis F., Gopar-Nieto, Rodrigo, González-Pacheco, Héctor, Sierra-Lara-Martínez, Daniel, Briseño-de la Cruz, José L., Gómez-Mont-Wiechers, José, and Araiza-Garaygordobil, Diego
- Subjects
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ST elevation myocardial infarction , *ACUTE coronary syndrome , *PERCUTANEOUS coronary intervention , *AIR travel , *TRANSPORTATION of patients - Abstract
Background: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) systems of care have reduced inter-hospital transfer times and facilitated timely reperfusion goals. Helicopters may be an option when land transportation is not feasible; however, the safety of air transport in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a factor to consider. Objetives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of helicopter transport for patients with ACS. Methods: Prospective, observational, and descriptive study including patients diagnosed with ACS within the STEMI network of a metropolitan city transferred by helicopter to a large cardiovascular center to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence of air-travel-related complications defined as IV dislodgement, hypoxia, arrhythmia, angina, anxiety, bleeding, and hypothermia. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of the primary outcome. Results: A total of 106 patients were included in the study; the mean age was 54 years and 84.9% were male. The most frequent diagnosis was STEMI after successful fibrinolysis (51.8%), followed by STEMI with failed fibrinolysis (23.7%) and non-reperfused STEMI (9.4%). Five patients (4.7%) developed at least one complication: IV dislodgement (1.8%) and hypoxemia (1.8%) in two patients and an episode of angina during flight (0.9%). A flight altitude of > 10,000 ft was not associated with complications. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that helicopter transportation is safe in patients undergoing acute coronary syndrome, despite the altitude of a metropolitan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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