When an emergency strikes, you may need to rely on more than an ambulance. That’s when many patients take to the air.
When traveling long distances for emergency care, an air ambulance is a business class aircraft that can provide you with urgent medical care during transportation.
Want to know how you or someone you love can receive medical flight transport? Continue reading for important information to help you make the right choice.
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What is Medical Flight Transport?
When you or someone you love needs medical attention and must travel a long distance, then an air ambulance provides you with a safe way to fly. When a patient needs to travel 100 miles or more, medical flight transport is used.
These patients are unable to take a commercial flight because their condition makes them too weak or sick. An Air Ambulance has a medical airplane transport crew who care for patients during the flight. The aircraft is also equipped with things such as respirators, medication, an ECG and monitoring unit, CPR equipment, stretchers, and other similar medical devices.
How to Choose a Medical Flight Services
There are actually two types of medical flight transport and multiple types of services. Helicopters or fixed-wing ambulance airplanes are for medical flight transport. Helicopters travel shorter distances. This could be for trauma-related emergencies when the patient requires quick movement from one hospital to another.
Helicopters are usually managed by the hospitals themselves whereas air ambulance planes are for non-emergency medical airplane transport. When choosing the right medical flight provider be sure they cater to your personal needs. They should provide you with a nurse case manager to be sure they are taking the time to assess your situation before taking flight.
What Service is Right For You?
There are a few different terms used to describe the different services provided by medical flight transports.
Air Ambulance
This service is the fastest method and used for emergencies. As mentioned earlier, helicopters are often used as air ambulances to get critically ill patients from one facility to another. These planes are equipped with life support equipment.
Medical Escort
A medical escort can be by air or via train. Using a medical escort is a more cost-effective way to transport a patient. This can only be used if you or your loved one is able to sit up during the take-off and landing. For train travelers, the patient must be lying down.
The patient is able to travel with the assistance of one or more medical personnel.
International Commercial Stretcher
For patients who have to travel internationally to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, you may have the option of traveling on a commercial airline. Some airlines are willing to remove a few rows of seats in order to fit a patient’s stretcher and medical equipment.
This is an inexpensive alternative to paying for medical air transport separately. The patient will also have medical assistance traveling with them throughout the flight.
Quality Medical Flight Transport for You
When you have no choice but to transport a loved one via a medical flight, then their safety and well-being is the utmost concern. Find a medical flight transport that puts your needs first and takes the time to thoroughly analyze the patient’s condition.
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