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Emergency Medical Helicopter - ER in the Sky

Article information

J Korean Med Assoc. 2007;50(6):541-548
Publication date (electronic) : 2009 June 30
doi : https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2007.50.6.541
Hyoung Gon Song, MD
Department of Emergency Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Korea. cprking@smc.samsung.co.kr

Abstract

In Korea, the field of aeromedical transport is less developed compared to other fields of medicine. Even though the Firefighting Aviation Corps has put their efforts into rescuing victims of trauma and patient evacuation, the portion of their transport is minimal and poorly organized. The Emergency Flight Team in Samsung Medical Center is the only HEMS (helicopter emergency medical system) run by a private sector in Korea. It had operated the Bell 412EP helicopter from Dec. 1996 to Dec. 2006, which was replaced with EC 155B1 made by Eurocopter in Jan. 2007. The team rescued 415 patients and supported 45 cases of organ transplantation during the period. This review will include not only the general concept of HEMS but also the discussion on the practical problems that we are facing, based on our 11-year experiences of aeromedical transport.

Keywords: Helicopter; Emergency Medical System; Aeromedical transport

References

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Article information Continued

Copyright © 2007 Korean Medical Association

Figure 1

Figure 1

Annual Summary of Emergency Flight Mission at Samsung Medical Center.

Figure 2

Figure 2

The regional distribution of evacuated patient Emergency Flight Mission at Samsung Medical Center (1996~2006).

Figure 3

Figure 3

Bell 412EP Helicopter.

Figure 4

Figure 4

Bell 412EP helicopter - Inside.

Figure 5

Figure 5

Contents of transport Pack.

Figure 6

Figure 6

EC 155B1 helicopter.

Figure 7

Figure 7

EC 155B1 helicopter - Inside.

Figure 8

Figure 8

EEC 155B1 helicopter-Inside with patient.

Table 1

Annual Results of FAC* (2005~2006)

Table 1

*FAC : Firefighting Aviation Corps

Table 2

Specification of EMS helicopters

Table 2