Patient and mission characteristics of helicopter emergency medical services in the Republic of Ireland: a retrospective analysis

Abstract

Background: The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has operated a Paramedic-staffed Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in the Republic of Ireland since 2012. This study describes patient and mission characteristics, to provide insight into this service and inform future service development. Methods: A nationwide population-based retrospective study of HEMS missions was conducted from routinely collected health data over an 11- year period between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2023. Results: In the study period HEMS in Ireland received 8,392 mission requests, Patient contact occurred in 60.1% of missions (n = 5,045) and 73.4% (n = 3703) were airlifted to hospital. Adults represented 90.3% (n = 4,535) of patients, predominantly male at 69.1%, with a median age of 55 years (IQR: 34 years) [35:69]. Medical patients accounted for 50.3% (n = 2,524), cardiac aetiologies (32.3%) and out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) (30.3%) were the most common medical presentation. Trauma patients account for 49.7% (n = 2,498). Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs) (31.4%) followed by farming and machinery incidents (17.4%) were the most common trauma presentation. HEMS teams significantly reduced pain in both trauma (ꭕ2 = 680, p