MEDICAL MANAGEMENT FOR EMERGENCIES THROUGH THE HELICOPTER 118 SERVICE IN CALABRIA AND MEDICAL DEVICES

Calabria is an Italian Region extending 300 kilometres with a surface 15,082 kilometres of which 13,709 of hills and mountains, 800 kilometres coasts and a Population of 2 million and difficult road conditions. In Emergency Area 118 Helicopter Service has been created in Cosenza since 1998,in Lamezia since 2000,in Locri since 2001. Missions carried by helicopter were 7652 (Patients rescued in houses, work place, streets or in hospital). Pathologies managed were: cardiovascular, gastroenterologic, respiratory, nephrological, neurosurgical, traumatology, obstetric and gynaecological, neonatologic, paediatric, urologic, disbaropatia, burns, transplantations. The served area concerns more than 230 Sites, among Municipalities and roads, and destination Hospitals were 38.Main Medical Devices present on board in Helicopter Rescue Services are: multiparametric Monitor-Defibrillator, pulmonary Ventilator, Oxygen, Aspirator, spine Board, Incubator, selfexp. Balloon, set for respiratory functions and drugs. Moreover, Beds equipped for Resuscitation, Brain and Heart Surgery are Services with a high costs and skills and it is not possible to set up them in capillary way. It is for these reasons that Regional Rescue Service 118,besides of ambulances, uses 3 helicopters equipped with medical devices to transport in safety critically ills by air on national distances until about 800 kilometres. Authors share have a long experience in Emergency or Methodologies: "Ciccone E. et al. (1994) Use and utility of Helicopter rescue in Calabria Region. 2nd National Meeting ACSIE, Montepaone, Italy", "Stroili M.,Panizon F. (1995) Italy Hospital Medicine-clinical Best Practices. Book of elaboration of Guide Lines and Diagnostic-Therapeutic Practices. Ed. Sciarada, Trieste", "Stroili M.,Ciccone E.,Staltari P.,Surace P.(2008) War against social disparities in management of emergencies with the Helicopter in Locri, Calabria. Vol.1 43rd National Congress SITI, Bari, Italy, 2008, p 393".Authors are M.D.Ciccone Eliseo, M.D. Stroili Manuela, I.P. Pilo Leonardo and M.D.Gargiulo Pasqualina.