Study Shows: Helicopters Help Save More Lives

Helicopters have long been used in a variety of ways, from the transport of military troops to the provision of scenic and private helicopter tours, all of which have steered clear of debate, save for one. Since helicopters were used in the transport of trauma victims to the nearest trauma centres, wave after wave of debates have sparked between those opposing it and those who are for it. The argument of the opposition generally stems from the very real risk of crashes occurring during these helicopter flights transporting the patients, not to mention the high cost of upkeep for just one helicopter. Those in favour of helicopter transport though, argue that it is saving more lives than losing them, and a recent study conducted by John Hopkins University School of Medicine reveals that they may be right after all.
Slight but Significant Odds
According to The Baltimore Sun, plenty of studies have been conducted to support one side or the other, but this most recent one from John Hopkins appears to be one of the most extensive. It gathered and examined records from over 223,000 patients across the country using the National Trauma Data Bank, the largest repository of trauma statistics in the world. The Sun reports that results of the study showed that patients who were transported via helicopter were 16% more likely to survive than those transported by land, and survival rates increased by 1.5%. These may seem small, but these are significant figures considering that they determine life or death for a patient.
The study also revealed that one in 65 severely injured patients transported via helicopter would die if land transport was the only option.
The Next Possible Step
Several experts agree that given these results, the question should no longer be whether or not to use helicopters when transporting patients, but which patients should take advantage of these helicopter trips, and which ones do not really need it. "I would call a helicopter only if the ground transport time exceeds 60 minutes because less than that and the helicopter isn't saving that much time," Dr. Jeffrey Rabrich, medical director of EMS and disaster preparedness at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York stated to ABC News. “The helicopters time advantage dissipates rapidly as the distance to the trauma centre decreases.”
Ongoing Debate
Despite this newfound information numerous experts are still questioning the effectivity and necessity of medical helicopter transport, arguing that the main determinant for patients’ survival was not really the speed of the helicopters but the skill of the crew members and the superior equipment the helicopters carried. Dr. Michael A. West of the University of California San Francisco tells ABC News, “In every instance the capabilities typically available on a helicopter will always be the same -- or greater -- than those available in a ground ambulance.”
Lone Eagle: Trusted Aviation Services in the Kimberley Region

If you’re in the Kimberley area, Lone Eagle has a wide fleet of helicopters available for various aviation services. Aside from their recreational helicopter tours, their fleet is also well equipped for emergency situations such as fire, flood, search and rescue, and other aerial transfers.