Helicopter Landings at Children's Hospital
January - March 1998

A report to the community
about emergency medical helicopter landings
at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center

A summary of flight activity,
January through March 1998

Landing Location Summary


Children's Hospital
Emergency Room		UW Intramural
Field
January311
February413
March511

Patients Transported by Emergency Medical Helicopter
Landing at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
January-March 1998

DateLandingDepartureTransported
From		AgeDiagnosisReceiving UnitOutcome (as of May 30, 1998)
January 9, 19989:50 AMN/A St. Joseph, BellinghamPre-schoolMeningococcal meningitisPICUHospitalized 7 days
January 16, 19987:05 PM7:35 PMValley Medical Center, RentonSchool-ageReactive airway disease,
respiratory failure		ERHospitalized 9 days
January 27, 19985:53 AM6:42 AMMedic 6, AuburnToddlerAtypical febrile seizureERHospitalized 3 days
February 6, 19989:41 AM10:40 AMSt. Peter's, OlympiaTeenMeningococcemia,
meningococcal meningitis		PICUHospitalized 8 days
February 10, 19986:21 AM8:10 AMWhidbey Naval Hospital, Oak HarborNewbornMeconium aspirationIICUHospitalized 10 days
February 14, 19982:22 PM3:54 PMValley Medical Center, RentonInfantRSV bronchiolotis,
respiratory failure		IICUHospitalized 8 days
February 16, 19983:12 PM4:19 PMSt. Joseph, BellinghamInfantPneumococcal sepsis,
pneumococcal meningitis		PICUHospitalized 60 days
March 2, 199810:15 PM12:31 AMProvidence Hospital, CentraliaTeenRight lower lobe pneumonia,
respiratory failure		PICUHospitalized 18 days
March 13, 19988:18 PM9:00 PMCommunity Memorial Hospital, EnumclawPre-schoolViral croupERHospitalized 1 day
March 18, 199811:34 AM12:50 PMBremerton Naval HospitalInfantDrowningPICUDied 3/25/98
March 19, 199810:35 AM12:25 PMCascade Valley Hospital, ArlingtonNewbornCongenital diaphragmatic herniaIICUDied 3/20/98
March 31, 199810:55 AM12:44 PMSt. Joseph, BellinghamNewbornRespiratory distress syndrome,
pulmonary hypertension		IICUHospitalized 7 days
Note to our neighbors: Medflight, based at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham, has a new pilot who is required to conduct one test landing at Children's helistop. The landing will take place July 15 or 16 between noon and 3 p.m. A report to the community about emergency medical helicopter landings at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center/ A summary of flight activity is published quarterly by the Communications Department at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA. If you have comments or questions, please call Cheryl Ellsworth, director of Community and Government Affairs, at (206) 526-2125; or write her at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, P.O. Box 5371 CH-01, Seattle, WA 98105-0371.

Definition of Diagnosis/Treatment

Atypical febrile seizure: Febrile seizure occurs with a fever in children ages 6 months to 5 years who have never had a seizure without fever. Typical febrile seizures last less than 15 minutes, involve the arms and legs and occur once in 24 hours. Atypical types are those that last a long time, involve only part of the body or occur more than once in 24 hours.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: A condition at birth in which the abdominal contents are displaced into the chest cavity causing respiratory distress and usually requiring immediate surgery.

Meconium aspiration: Pneumonia-like illness of newborn due to inhalation at birth of fluids containing material from infant's bowel.

Meningococcemia: Infection of the blood stream by meningococcus bacteria. Often progresses very rapidly and can be fatal.

Meningococcal meningitis: Bacterial infection of the covering of brain and spinal cord by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. It can be life threatening. Pneumococcal meningitis: Bacterial infection of the covering of brain and spinal cord by the bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae. It can be life threatening.

Pneumococcal sepsis: Infection of the blood stream by bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae. Often progresses very rapidly and can be fatal.

Pulmonary hypertension: Abnormally high blood pressure in the lungs which causes inadequate oxygenation of the blood. This life-threatening condition is treated with mechanical ventilation and medications.

RSV bronchiolitis: Bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Bronchiolitis is inflammation of the small air passages in the lung which makes breathing difficult. In severe cases, mechanical ventilation may be required to assist breathing. RSV is a serious respiratory virus that affects the lining of the airways in the lungs, producing a large amount of mucous and swelling. Because young children cannot cough up the mucous, it remains in the airways and increases labored breathing.

Reactive airway disease: Acute narrowing of the airways which may cause severe difficulty in breathing and require mechanical ventilation.

Respiratory distress syndrome: Problem of lung immaturity in premature babies (but sometimes occurs in term infants) resulting in the need for extra oxygen and mechanical ventilation.

Viral croup: Inflammation of the airway which may cause difficulty in breathing. If severe, can result in blockage of the airway and require insertion of a tube to allow the patient to breathe. Viruses are the most common cause of croup.

c/o 1998 Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

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