Skip to main content

Table 1 Basic characteristics

From: Implementation of a low-titre whole blood transfusion program in a civilian helicopter emergency medical service

Variable

All cases

Trauma

Nontrauma

No. of patients

52 (100)

37 (100)

15 (100)

Male

41 (79)

28 (76)

13 (87)

Age, y

49 (27–70)

41 (21–62)

66 (54–74)

Mission category

   

Primary

43 (83)

33 (89)

10 (67)

Secondary

9 (17)

4 (11)

5 (33)

Transport mode

   

Ground ambulance

27 (55)

17 (46)

10 (67)

Helicopter

20 (41)

15 (41)

5 (33)

Not transported

2 (4)

2 (5)

0 (0)

NACA score

6 (5–6)

6 (5–6)

6 (5–6)

Timeline

   

Response time, min

21 (13–40)

21 (12–37)

25 (14–40)

On-scene time, min

10 (4–20)

11 (4–22)

8 (4–10)

On-scene to hospital arrival, min

20 (13–30)

19 (13–27)

20 (13–36)

Type of injury

   

Trauma

37 (71)

37 (100)

0 (0)

Nontrauma

15 (29)

0 (0)

15 (100)

Out of hospital

Blood pressure assessment

   

Not measured

5 (10)

4 (11)

1 (7)

Central palpable pulse

9 (17)

6 (16)

4 (27)

Peripheral palpable pulse

3 (6)

3 (8)

0 (0)

Measured blood pressure

24 (46)

15 (41)

9 (60)

Cardiac arrest

10 (19)

9 (24)

1 (7)

Airway management

   

Endotracheal intubation

15 (29)

13 (35)

2 (13)

Supraglottic device

3 (6)

3 (8)

0 (0)

Mask-bag ventilation

4 (8)

4 (11)

0 (0)

Supplementary oxygen

17 (33)

12 (32)

5 (33)

No airway intervention

13 (25)

5 (14)

8 (53)

Out of hospital

   

Systolic blood pressure, mmHg

80 (0–100)

75 (0–98)

97 (50–100)

Heart rate, beats/min

80 (0–100)

65 (0–90)

120 (94–125)

Respiratory rate, breaths/min

13 (0–20)

10 (0–17)

16 (12–28)

Pulse oximetry, %

90.5 (0–99)

84 (0–99)

94 (88–100)

Glasgow coma scale score

9.5 (3–15)

8 (3–15)

12 (3–15)

In-hospital

   

Emergency department

   

Systolic blood pressure, mmHg

110 (65–130)

110 (76–130)

116 (60–126)

Heart rate, beats/min

94 (70–108)

84 (64–106)

100 (82–113)

Respiratory rate, breaths/min

20 (12–24)

15 (12–24)

22 (16–27)

Pulse oximetry, %

97 (92–100)

98 (88–100)

97 (93–100)

Glasgow coma scale score

12 (3–15)

7 (3–15)

15 (10–15)

Interventions

   

Emergency interventions < 24 h

41 (79)

29 (78)

12 (80)

Survival

   

Survival 24 h

36 (69)

25 (68)

11 (73)

Survival 30 days

28 (54)

18 (49)

10 (67)

  1. Data are presented as the number of patients (percentage) or median (interquartile range) per patient category
  2. NACA score, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics score