Transport and support of cardiac patients

The development of new technologies in cardiovascular medicine has greatly improved our ability to impact mortality and morbidity in patients with cardiovascular disease. Many of these therapeutic innovations are limited in their availability to the tertiary care center. Patients requiring these specialized services can and should be transported to tertiary care centers. Generally available transport systems include: surface ambulances, aeromedical helicopter ambulances, and fixed-wing air ambulances. The decision of which mode of transport to use is commonly based on time/distance/terrain considerations, equipment needs, and personnel requirements. The safety of appropriate transport of patients with many cardiovascular conditions has been demonstrated, and potential benefit to patients with a variety of disease processes can be expected.