Case analysis of pre-hospital emergency medical services utilizing aeromedical helicopters in China

JIANG Wei; HU Xuejun; CHI Yunhang; CHEN Huoliang

doi:10.13276/j.issn.2097-1656.2025.01.019

Abstract：Objective To explore the service efficiency and application characteristics of helicopter pre-hospital emergency care by reviewing cases of helicopter pre-hospital emergency in China,so as to provide references for optimizing the helicopter pre-hospital emergency care service system.Methods Cases of helicopter pre-hospital emergency care implemented in China from January 2018 to June 2024 were collected,and data on rescue environment,method,time,distance and injury information were extracted,verified,and recorded,and statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square test and Fisher's exact probability test.Results Among 122 rescue cases,the number of public service mode cases was higher than that of commercial operation mode.A total of 133 injured and sick persons were rescued,with 79 injured persons higher than 54 sick persons,and there was no significant difference in injury and sickness composition between the two modes(P＞0.05).There were significant statistical differences between public service mode and commercial operation mode in rescue environment and method(P＜0.01).The public service mode was mainly used for maritime rescue,while the commercial operation mode was mainly used for inland rescue.The three stages with the longest rescue time were response,pre-connection and post-delivery stages.Conclusion The two operation modes of helicopter pre-hospital emergency care service in China complement each other in rescue practice.At present,there are still problems such as small scale,weak professional team and low rescue efficiency.It is suggested to explore diversified payment modes,improve public awareness,strengthen the construction of on-board medical team,improve airspace management and infrastructure,and strengthen multi-departmental cooperation and information sharing.