Aeromedical Transportation

Dr T. Martin is a Consultant in Intensive Care and has been involved in the organisation, practice and teaching of both civilian and military aeromedical transport since 1984. Since leaving regular RAF service, he has had senior aeromedical evacuation roles in the UK reserve forces and with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He has spent time as Medical Director at Europ Assistance (UK), trauma registrar with the London HEMS, Senior Medical Officer in the Centre of Human Sciences at QinetiQ, and flight physician for paediatric and adult critical care transfers at Auckland Pacific Air Ambulance. He is currently a consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, UK, Senior Lecturer in Aviation Medicine at Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand, and Director of CCAT Aeromedical Training, UK.

Contents: Part One: Introduction: History of aeromedical transportation; Overview. Part Two: Physics and Physiology: The atmosphere; The physiological effects of altitude; The biodynamics of flight; Transmeridian and long haul flights. Part Three: Operational Considerations: Operational aspects of aeromedical transport; The medical flight crew; Aeromedical equipment. Part Four: Clinical Considerations; Indications for aeromedical transport; Clinical considerations in transport of the ill and injured; Transport of patients with spinal injuries; Transport of burns patients; Transport of the obstetric patient; Transport of neonatal and pediatric patients; Critical care retrievals and transfers; Nursing care in the air. Part Five: Organization and Administration: The administration of aeromedical transport organizations; Medicolegal aspects of aeromedical transport; Planning the successful international repatriation; Primary transfers: the casualty evacuation conflict. Index.