Air Ambulance and Emergency Retrieval Services in Western Australia: Caseload Analysis Over 5 Years.

Objective: The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations (RFDSWO) provides critical care transfer and retrieval services across 2.5 million km to a population of 2.58 million people, providing both primary and secondary retrievals across Western Australia.

The effect of age, severity, and mechanism of injury on risk of death from major trauma in Western Australia.

Background: We examined the association between age, mechanism of injury, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) on mortality in major trauma.

Methods: We used 9 years of population-based linked major trauma (ISS >15) registry data for Western Australia (N = 4,411). These were categorized using the Sampalis classification of injury severity: survivable (ISS 16-24), probably survivable (ISS 25-49), and nonsurvivable (ISS 50+).

Aeromedical transfer of women at risk of preterm delivery in remote and rural Western Australia: why are there no births in flight?

Objective: For more than three decades, women at imminent risk of preterm birth (PTB) in Western Australia have been transferred by small aircraft over long distances to the single tertiary level perinatal centre in Perth, with no known case of birth during the flight. We aimed to review recent experience to understand how aircraft travel may delay PTB.

Design And Setting: Retrospective observational study of 500 consecutive Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) transfers of women at risk of preterm labour to the tertiary referral centre, from September 2007 to December 31, 2009.

Major trauma patients transferred from rural and remote Western Australia by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Background: The "golden hour" of trauma care is irrelevant in rural areas. We studied the effect of distance and remoteness on major trauma patients transferred by the Royal Flying Doctor Service from rural and remote Western Australia.

Methods: The Royal Flying Doctor Service retrieval and Trauma Registry databases were linked for the period of July 1, 1997, to June 30, 2006.

A comparison of metropolitan vs rural major trauma in Western Australia.

Background: Metropolitan and rural Western Australia (WA) major trauma transport times are extremely different. We compared outcomes from these different systems of care.

Methods: Major trauma (Injury Severity Score, ISS>15) data from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and Trauma Registries, 1 July 1997-30 June 2006.