Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Acute respiratory failure

Abstract

Background:
Medical evacuation from the boats sailing in open seas, using the helicopters of the Lanveoc Poulmic‘s air base, are a public mission of the french army. The helicopters are able to reach a boat quickly, far from the coasts and almost whatever the weather is. 1 trained physician and 1 nurse are on board. The evacuation needs to use a windlass, which is the most dangerous operation.
Aims and objectives:
We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the frequency of evacuation for acute respiratory failure across Finistere‘s coasts from January 2005 to September 2008 (Finistere is a department in the west of France).
Results:
127 patients have been evacuated during the study period. Acute respiratory failures are the fourth leading cause of evacuation with 9 patients (after the serious trauma, digestive and cardiac diseases). The diagnoses were 5 pneumonias, 1 acute respiratory distress syndrom, 2 poisonings (1 carbon monoxyd, 1 phosphine) and 1 near-fatal asthma. The median duration from takeoff to landing at the district hospital is 113 minutes.
Conclusions:
Respiratory failures are a rare cause of medical operation on boats but are often life threatening.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
N. Paleiron, U. Vinsonneau, M. André, C. Bombert, F. Grassin (Brest, Lanvéoc Poulmic, France). Pulmonary emergencies and medical evacuation in open sea from the French coasts. Experience of the French army. Eur Respir J 2010; 36: Suppl. 54, 2297

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