Reasons to Call an Air Ambulance

Function

Air ambulances are just like regular ambulances in that they are staffed with medical professionals certified to deal with medical emergencies. However, they are far more customized in many cases. As a result, an air ambulance can serve a purpose when a traditional ambulance will not work, and can enable a seriously ill patient to travel literally thousands of miles without serious risk to their stability or health.

Most people think of "life flights" when they think of air ambulances, and as a result believe that the only time that you can use air travel for a medical purpose is in the event of a serious emergency that due to timing or location cannot be handled by automotive means. However, air ambulances are also used to transport patients to specialty hospitals. They may also be used for "bedside to bedside" transport if a very ill person must move from one home to another.

One of the major benefits of an air ambulance is the level of customized treatment available. Not only can you have any specialist you need as part of the crew, but you can also customize the equipment in the air ambulance to fit your needs. You can also designate a certain time of day to travel--assuming that you are not in an emergency situation--and travel with a loved one, which is often not an option in the case of a "life flight" situation.

There are many reasons that you might call an air ambulance, and your reason will determine the type of air ambulance that you request. If you need long distance transportation for a patient that is in critical condition, then you might request a Learjet from a private service. On the other hand, if you need immediate assistance in an emergency, you should simply call 911and then get a referral to an air ambulance if necessary, as often 911 services will handle this if they believe it is a necessity. Patients needing specialized surgery or who may go into cardiac arrest or other emergency states at any minute also can require air ambulances because they lessen the period of time outside of the intensive care unit and have a more specialized staff than regular ambulances.

When you call an air ambulance, your time frame will depend largely on your situation. If it is an emergency, an air ambulance could be on location in five minutes or even less. However, if you are arranging private transportation then your air ambulance service will work with your hospital and personal physicians to arrange the best flight itinerary. In these cases, you might spend hours or even days to get the best flying conditions and arrange the proper in flight care.

If you are in an emergency, always call 911 before taking other action. This will give the 911 operators a chance to notify local emergency personnel and take any action possbile to protect you. If you also believe that you need an air ambulance, wait until the 911 operatives are done working with you and then ask them to help you with this request. Making sure everyone is informed in an emergency is the best way to keep the situation from deteriorating.