FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-82/5

Title and Subtitle: Evaluation of cardiopulmonary factors critical to successful emergency perinatal air transport

Report Date: March 1982

Authors: Lategola MT, Flux M

Abstract: Regionalization of specialized perinatal care is a fully viable and progressing concept. The two major components of regionalized care are the level III care facility and the air transport service. In descending importance, the medical transport team, the pilot and aircraft, and related technology and equipment are the three most important components of the transport service.

Although significant reductions in perinatal morbidity and mortality have already resulted from development of regional care, additional progress is possible and desirable. Areas of possible improvement are: earlier precrisis diagnosis of maternal and/or fetal risk at level I care; supplementary training of medical transport personnel in perinatal aspects of Aviation Medicine, Physiology, and Safety; technology or preflight stabilization of the pregnant mother or the neonate; adjunct medical training of transport pilots; exclusive use of multiengine, fixed-wing, all-weather aircraft; and technology of in-flight life support and monitoring equipment and methods.

Key Words: High risk pregnant woman, High risk neonate, Emergency air transport, Cardiopulmonary factors, Medical transport team, Fixed-wing aircraft, Helicopters, Regionalized perinatal care

No. of Pages: 24