Factors at the Scene of Injury Associated with Air versus Ground Transport to Definitive Care in a State with a Large Rural Population

Abstract

Distance is the main factor in deciding whether to use air or ground EMS to transport a trauma patient from the scene of injury to a trauma center. With the exception of GCS <14, injury etiology was more strongly and consistently associated with the decision to transport by air than were patient related-factors. Identifying factors influencing the field transport decision will help develop transport guidelines that make efficient use of EMS resources.