Abstract
A number of recent publications have raised concern regarding in-flight pacemaker dysfunction during air medical transport. Unfortunately the clinical importance of this problem is unknown. The authors' purpose was to examine the incidence of pacemaker use and malfunction during helicopter air medical transport, using an incidence (cohort) study of an air medical service of a tertiary-care teaching hospital. During the study period, April 1, 1987 through December 31, 1991 2,388 patients were air-transported. Cardiac patients constituted 72% of the total population. Pacemakers were used in 44 patients, temporary transvenous pacemakers in 35, permanent transvenouse in five, and transcutaneous pacers in four patients. No rate-responsive pacemakers were transported. No episodes of pacemaker malfunction were observed (95% confidence interval 0 to .002 for the population as a whole). The authors conclude that pacemaker dysfunction during air medical transport is a very rare occurrence, in part due to the infrequent transport of patients requiring these devices.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 333-335 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | American Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1992 |
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Keywords
- Helicopter transport
- pacemaker
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine
Cite this
The incidence of pacemaker dysfunction during helicopter air medical transport. / Fromm, Robert E.; Taylor, Diane Hopkins; Cronin, Laura; McCallum, William B G; Levine, Robert L.
In: American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Vol. 10, No. 4, 01.01.1992, p. 333-335.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The incidence of pacemaker dysfunction during helicopter air medical transport
AU - Fromm, Robert E.
AU - Taylor, Diane Hopkins
AU - Cronin, Laura
AU - McCallum, William B G
AU - Levine, Robert L.
PY - 1992/1/1
Y1 - 1992/1/1
N2 - A number of recent publications have raised concern regarding in-flight pacemaker dysfunction during air medical transport. Unfortunately the clinical importance of this problem is unknown. The authors' purpose was to examine the incidence of pacemaker use and malfunction during helicopter air medical transport, using an incidence (cohort) study of an air medical service of a tertiary-care teaching hospital. During the study period, April 1, 1987 through December 31, 1991 2,388 patients were air-transported. Cardiac patients constituted 72% of the total population. Pacemakers were used in 44 patients, temporary transvenous pacemakers in 35, permanent transvenouse in five, and transcutaneous pacers in four patients. No rate-responsive pacemakers were transported. No episodes of pacemaker malfunction were observed (95% confidence interval 0 to .002 for the population as a whole). The authors conclude that pacemaker dysfunction during air medical transport is a very rare occurrence, in part due to the infrequent transport of patients requiring these devices.
AB - A number of recent publications have raised concern regarding in-flight pacemaker dysfunction during air medical transport. Unfortunately the clinical importance of this problem is unknown. The authors' purpose was to examine the incidence of pacemaker use and malfunction during helicopter air medical transport, using an incidence (cohort) study of an air medical service of a tertiary-care teaching hospital. During the study period, April 1, 1987 through December 31, 1991 2,388 patients were air-transported. Cardiac patients constituted 72% of the total population. Pacemakers were used in 44 patients, temporary transvenous pacemakers in 35, permanent transvenouse in five, and transcutaneous pacers in four patients. No rate-responsive pacemakers were transported. No episodes of pacemaker malfunction were observed (95% confidence interval 0 to .002 for the population as a whole). The authors conclude that pacemaker dysfunction during air medical transport is a very rare occurrence, in part due to the infrequent transport of patients requiring these devices.
KW - Helicopter transport
KW - pacemaker
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026685063&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0026685063&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0735-6757(92)90014-O
DO - 10.1016/0735-6757(92)90014-O
M3 - Article
C2 - 1616522
AN - SCOPUS:0026685063
VL - 10
SP - 333
EP - 335
JO - American Journal of Emergency Medicine
JF - American Journal of Emergency Medicine
SN - 0735-6757
IS - 4
ER -