Information Needed by LifeFlight Communications:
- Your agency name and call back number
- Location of the scene or landing zone
- Ground contact
- Radio frequency (prefer 155.205)
- Brief patient information (status of ABCs/mental status)
Patient Information Needed:
- Number of patients?
- Adult or pediatric?
- Extrication in process?
- Approximate patient weight?
- Neurologic and respiratory status?
Operations
Vanderbilt LifeFlight has established the following Physiologic, Anatomic, and Mechanism of Injury criteria for patients being transported by LifeFlight.
- GCS < 13 (does not follow commands) S/S of shock (rapid HR; altered mental status; cool, clammy, pale skin, etc.) Remember hypotension is a late sign of shock.
- Pediatric Trauma (may not see S/S of shock until late)
- Geriatric Trauma (also may not see S/S of shock until late)
- Hypothermia
- Airway compromise (actual or potential)
- Penetrating injuries to the torso
- Limb paralysis
- Limb amputation proximal to the wrist or ankle where bleeding cannot be controlled
- Trauma combined with burns of > 15% particularly those involving the face or airway
- High speed MVA
- Prolonged extrication
- Fatality within the same vehicle
- Ejection from the same vehicle
- Intrusion into the passenger compartment of vehicle by > 12 inches
- Mechanism of injury should accompany either a physiologic or anatomic criterion
LifeFlight Service Area
Providing an integrated transportation system, LifeFlight uses the right vehicle for the right patient at the right time. LifeFlight utilizes 4 helicopters and a medically equipped airplane, to serve areas within 900 miles of