Transporting Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

May 08, 2018

Traumatic Brain Injury patient

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the U.S.  TBIs contribute to approximately 30% of all injury related deaths.  According to the Brain Injury Association of America, a traumatic brain injury typically involves an impact to the head and may be caused by a fall, motor vehicle accident, sports injury, or an assault.  Seniors are at particular risk of suffering head traumas related to a fall, while young people have a higher risk of sustaining sports related TBIs.

Traumatic brain injuries can range from a mild concussion to severe injuries that may be permanent.  People with TBIs can experience a range of symptoms including memory loss, vision impairment, motor impairment, impaired thinking, loss of sensation, and personality changes. Recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury can take a few weeks.  People with severe symptoms may have long term disabilities.

Medical Transport of TBI Patients

Patients with TBIs must sometimes be transported to facilities specializing in therapeutic treatments.  For long distance travel, air ambulance transport is preferable to ground ambulance transport because of time saved.  It is vitally important to protect against secondary trauma during the transport of these critical care patients which can occur using tradition over the road ground transportation.

Specific protocols must be followed, and the transport team must be equipped to handle any emergency response procedures.  Blood pressure and medications must be monitored.  The team often needs to manage airways so respiratory distress does not occur.  Stress during transport can have adverse effects on the TBI patient, so measures must be taken to ensure the patient is as calm and comfortable as possible.  Allowing a family member to accompany the patient is often helpful in providing a smooth transfer.

Why Choose Medway?

Medway Air Ambulance is an experienced provider of air ambulance transport for patients with traumatic brain injury.  Our medical flight teams are able to meet the needs of each trauma patient, and our fleet of Learjets contains state-of-the-art medical equipment.  Most flights can accommodate a family member traveling with the patient.  Medway Air Ambulance will coordinate medical ground transportation between the sending and receiving medical facilities, and we work with all major insurance companies.

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