Helicopter Landings at Children's Hospital
January - March 1999

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 1999

Landing Location Summary


Children's Hospital
Emergency Room		UW Intramural
Field
January011
February511
March415

Patients Transported by Emergency Medical Helicopter
Landing at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
January-March 1999

DateLandingDepartureTransported
From		AgeDiagnosisReceiving UnitOutcome
January, 1999
There were no landings at the hospital in January
February, 1999
112:19 PM12:57 PMBremerton Naval Hospital, BremertonSchool-agePneumonia, repiratory failure, sepsisPICUDied 2/6/99
1211:30 AM12:43 PMMadigan Army Medical CenterInfantPulmonary hemorrhageIICUHospitalized 10 days
1812:23 AM2:12 AMJefferson General Hospital, Port TownsendNewbornRespiratory failure, sepsis, prematurityIICUHospitalized 16 days
2312:35 PM1:43 PMMedic 1, EverettPreschoolAspiration, respiratory failureERHospitalized 2 days
2811:51 PM12:58 AMSkagit Valley Hospital, Mt. VernonPreschoolMeningococcemiaERDied 3/1/99
March, 1999
610:26 PM12:05 AMWhidbey General Hospital, CoupevilleSchool-ageRespiratory anomaly, reactive airway diseasePICUHospitalized 3 days
93:25 PM4:33 PMMedic 21, Bainbridge IslandNewbornCoarctation of aorta, respiratory distressIICUHospitalized 4 days
912:16 AM12:58 AMMedic 6, KentPreschoolSeizure, respiratory failureERHospitalized 2 days
1811:13 AM12:02 PMFederal Way HospitalNewbornRespiratory arrest, bronchiolitis, RSVERHospitalized 7 days
Note to our neighbors: A Medical Review Committee meets several times a year to review all emergency medical landings at the hospital. This committee was formed in 1993 and includes two representatives from the Laurelhurst neighbor- hood, the medical director of the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, two physicians independent of Children's and key medical leadership from Children's Hospital.

The committee continues to find that the vast majority of these emergency medical landings, which are based upon medical criteria, are justified. We continue to evaluate each situation to determine whether a safe alternative to the landing is available.

 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

Bronchiolitis: Inflammation of the small air passages in the lung which makes breathing difficult. If severe, mechanical ventilation may be required to maintain patient's breathing.

Coarctation of the aorta: An hour-glass shaped narrowing of the artery which exits the heart carrying oxygenated blood to the body. This typically occurs just after the branches feeding the head and neck and interferes with blood flow to the lower half of the body. This causes high blood pressure in the arms, low blood pressure in the legs and stress and strain on the heart muscle, which can cause it to work too hard and lead to congestive heart failure.

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

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

RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus (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.

c/o 1999 Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

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