Interhospital aeromedical transports: Air medical activation intervals in adult and pediatric trauma patients

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pediatric trauma patients were transferred from community hospitals to trauma centers more expeditiously than adults of similar injury acuity. The study analyzed the air medical activation time, defined as the time delay between patient arrival at community hospitals and subsequent request for air medical transport to a Level I trauma center. Retrospective analysis of all interfacility air medical trauma transports by one service from October 1994 to June 1995 identified 40 pediatric and 156 adult patients. The mean air medical activation times for pediatric and adult trauma interfacility transports were 36.5 and 70.1 minutes, respectively (P = .016). The study shows that community hospitals are able to expedite transfer of pediatric trauma patients and suggests that transfer delays for adult trauma patients may be reducible.