Physician staffed helicopter emergency medical systems can provide advanced trauma life support in mountainous and remote areas.

Introduction: In remote and mountainous areas, helicopter emergency medical systems (HEMS) are used to expedite evacuation and provide pre-hospital advanced trauma life support (ATLS) in major trauma victims. Aim of the study was to investigate feasibility of ATLS in HEMS mountain rescue missions and its influence on patient condition at hospital admission.

Patients: 58 major trauma victims (Injury Severity Score ≥16), evacuated by physician staffed HEMS from remote and mountainous areas in the State of Tyrol, Austria between 1.