Trauma Versus Nontrauma Patients Treated by the Danish Helicopter Emergency Medical Service: A Register-Based Study of Patient Characteristics, Hospitalization, and Mortality

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are part of many emergency health care systems, ensuring specialized treatment on scene. An accurate use is important for improved resource utilization. The aim of this study was to describe patient characteristics, hospitalization, and mortality in trauma and nontrauma patients seen by the Danish HEMS teams. The study is a registry-based study presenting data from the national Danish HEMS database. We included all HEMS missions from October 1, 2014, to April 30, 2018. A total of 13,391 HEMS entries were registered, and 5,524 cases were included in the study. Trauma patients were younger (38 vs. 63 years) and had a lower level of comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index 0: 82% vs. 58%) compared with nontrauma patients. More nontrauma cases were classified with a severity score corresponding to a critical emergency. They also had a higher 30-day mortality compared with trauma patients (26% vs. 11%). This national study demonstrated differences in demographics, the severity profile, and mortality among trauma compared with nontrauma patients that could possibly indicate an overuse of HEMS for minor trauma cases. The results might suggest that educational efforts and a review of the current dispatch guidelines could be of importance when trying to improve the use of HEMS.