INTRODUCTION

Moving patients by air is in some ways very similar to moving patient by ground transport and in some ways very different. A patient must be stabilized as much as possible prior to moving, and problems that could arise during transfer must be anticipated. Plans must be made to addresses any potential complications that may occur en route and the stresses to the patient inherent to the chosen mode of transport must be considered in the planning process. During any flight, outside assistance is at least 30 minutes away. Extremes of temperature, pressure, noise, and relative hypoxia may be encountered. Awareness of these unique stresses and accounting for them will ensure that all aeromedical evacuations are conducted as safely and efficiently as local conditions and the patients' disease processes allow.

REPATRIATION VERSUS EVACUATION

Although grouped together as aeromedical evacuations for the purpose of this chapter as well is in common usage, medical evacuation and repatriation are actually two distinct activities. “Evacuation” usually implies that a patient cannot receive the appropriate care locally and is being moved to the closest suitable facility. “Repatriation,” on the other hand, involves taking the patient home. In some situations, patients cannot receive appropriate care locally, and it makes sense to return them home for definitive care. More often, repatriation involves a patient who has been stabilized at a facility away from home, and will then require on-going care or rehabilitation. Repatriation patients tend to be more stable, and there is less urgency in moving them.