Helicopter Landings at Children's Hospital
July-September 1998

A report to the community
about emergency medical helicopter landings
at Children's Hospital and Medical Center.
A summary of flight activity, July through September 1998

Landing Location Summary
July-September 1998

Children's Hospital
Emergency Room		UW Intramural
Field
July86
August210
September616

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

DateLandingDepartureTransported
From		AgeDiagnosisReceiving UnitOutcome (as of 1/30/98)
July
14:47 AM 5:39 AM St. Joseph, Bellingham PreschoolGeneralized seizures, feverERTransferred same day to other hosp.
84:47 PM5:36 PMMedic 7, AuburnToddlerAntidepressant poisoningERHospitalized 2 days
112:38 PM3:38 PMWhidbey General Hospital, CoupevilleInfantCroupPICUHospitalized 2 days
129:48 AM11:09 PMSt. Clare Hospital, LakewoodSchool-ageCardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation*PICUHospitalized 11 days
131:58 PM2:54 PMProvidence Hospital, EverettSchool-ageNear drowningPICUHospitalized 2 days
136:02 PM6:23 PMProvidence Hospital, EverettInfantAsphyxiation/suffocation in a carseatPICUDied 7/14/98
178:04 PM8:51 PMSkagit Valley Hospital, Mt. VernonNewbornseizuresIICUHospitalized 7 days
298:18 AM8:42 AMEvergreen Hospital, KirklandSchool-ageShock, cardiac arrestERDied 7/29/98
August
148:18 PM9:43 PMSkagit Valley Hospital, Mt. VernonNewbornHyaline membrane disease, intraventricular hemorrhageIICUStill hospitalized
166:15 PM7:08 PMValley General Hospital, MonroeInfantInfant Febrile seizure, apneaPICUHospitalized 1 day
September
71:04 PM2:05 PMOlympic Memorial Hospital, Port AngelesNewbornPrematurity, respiratory distress, emphysemaIICUDied 9/7/98
72:10 PM2:50 PMOlympic Memorial Hospital, Port AngelesNewbornPrematurity, hyaline membrane disease, emphysemaIICUHospitalized 65 days
153:12 PM5:06 PMSt. Joseph Hospital, BellinghamNewbornVentricular septal defectIICUHospitalized 1 day
1812:21 AM 12:32 AMProvidence General Hospital, Everett PreschoolAtypical febrile seizure, respiratory failureERHospitalized 2 days
226:15 PM7:11 PMValley Medical Center, RentonPreschoolAnoxic CNS injury, chronic renal insufficiencyPICUHospitalized 6 days
274:09 AM4:50 AMMedic 7, Des MoinesSchool-ageSeizure, status epilepticusERHospitalized 4 days

Definition of Diagnosis/Treatment

Anoxic brain damage: Extreme deficiency of oxygen to the brain.

Atypical/Typical febrile seziure: 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.

Hyaline membrane disease/Infant respiratory distress syndrome: This illness causes severe difficulty breathing due to collapse of the small airways and accumulation of fluid in the lung. Children often require mechanical ventilation to assist their breathing.

Intraventricular hemorrhage: Bleeding in the spinal fluid reservoirs in the brain. If severe can lead to hydrocephalus, which must be treated to avoid brain damage.

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.

Status epilepticus: Continuous epileptic seizures during which the patient is unconscious.

Ventricular fibrillation: A state in which the heart is just quivering and not pumping blood effectively.

Ventricular septal defect: a hole between the two ventricles or pumping chambers of the heart, through which blood leaks from the left ventricle to the right ventricle and on to the lungs. The net effect is that the heart and lungs are overworked and inefficient (congestive heart failure).

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

Cheryl Ellsworth, director of Community and Government Affairs
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
P.O. Box 5371 CH-01
Seattle, WA
98105-0371.

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

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