The epidemiology of pediatric air medical transports in Utah.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the air-transported patients treated at Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC), the sole pediatric tertiary care center in Utah and a referral center in the intermountain region. This study describes the patients who utilized the air medical transport system, the medical services provided in the prehospital setting, and the corresponding charges for transport and treatment. METHODS: Participants were air-transported patients aged 17 years and less who were treated at PCMC during the calendar years 1991-1992. The study population excluded patients who were transported to other medical facilities, and newborns. Data were abstracted retrospectively from the patients' medical and transport records. Data collected included demographic information, patient diagnoses, and treatments performed during transport. Financial data were supplied by the hospital. RESULTS: During the study period, 874 pediatric patients met the participant criteria. Helicopter and fixed-wing transports comprised 561 and 313, respectively, from nine states in the mountain and western regions. The majority (313, 56%) of the patients transported by helicopter were trauma patients, while the majority (195, 62%) of fixed-wing transports were for illness-related conditions. Scene transports accounted for 120 (21%) of helicopter transports. Children with special health care needs accounted for 171 (20%) of all transports. CONCLUSIONS: Injury severity scores indicate that, overall, air-transported patients were more severely injured than comparable ground-transported patients. However, it is apparent that some patients who were air-transported could have been transported by ground ambulance without detriment. medical services.