Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med . Collective aeromedical transport of COVID-19 critically ill patients in Europe: a retrospective study

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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med


. 2020 Nov 21;S2352-5568(20)30272-1.
doi: 10.1016/j.accpm.2020.11.004. Online ahead of print.
Collective aeromedical transport of COVID-19 critically ill patients in Europe: a retrospective study


Jean Turc ¹ , Henri-Louis Dupre ² , Madeleine Beaussac ³ , Sophie Murris ⁴ , Lionel Koch ⁵ , Raphael Paris ⁶ , Julia Di Filippo ³ , Berang?re Distinguin ⁷ , Violaine Muller ⁸ , Mathieu Boutonnet ⁸



Affiliations

• PMID: 33232835
• PMCID: PMC7680057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.accpm.2020.11.004

Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: In early 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak has posed the risk of critical care resources overload in every affected country. Collective interhospital transport of critically ill COVID-19 patients as a way to mitigate the localised pressure from overloaded intensive care units at a national or international level has not been reported yet. The aim of this study was to provide descriptive data about the first six collective aeromedical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of COVID-19 patients performed within Europe.
Methods: This retrospective study included all adult patients transported by the first six collective MEDEVAC missions for COVID-19 patients performed within Europe on the 18th, 21st, 24th, 27th, 31st of March and the 3rd of April 2020.
Results: Thirty-six patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were transported aboard six MEDEVAC missions. The median duration of mechanical ventilation in ICU before transportation was 4 days (3-5.25). The median PaO2/FiO2 ratio obtained before, during the flight and at Day 1 after the transport was 180 mmHg (156-202,5), 143 mmHg (118,75-184,75) and 174 mmHg (129,5-205,5), respectively, with no significant difference. The median norepinephrine infusion rate observed before, during the flight and at Day 1 after the transport was 0,08 ?g/kg-1.min-1 (0,00-0,20), 0,08 (0,00-0,25), and 0,07 (0,03-0,18), respectively, with no significant difference. No life-threatening event was reported.
Conclusion: Collective aero-MEDEVAC of COVID-19 critically ill patients could provide a reliable solution to help control the burden of the disease at a national or international level.

Keywords: Acute respiratory distress syndrome; COVID-19; aeromedical evacuation; interhospital transport; mechanical ventilation.