Transportation of two patients with acute myocardial infarction for primary percutaneous coronary intervention by a helicopter ambulance

Air ambulance system has been established throughout the country by the Ministry of Health of Turkey. Fifteen provinces are determined as centers of the system so that all the country is covered within at the most one-hour flight distance. As part of this nationwide system, two helicopter ambulances have been deployed in our hospital since November 2008. Prompt use of reperfusion therapy improves survival of patients sustaining acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Two components of delay from the onset of AMI to reperfusion therapy are prehospital and interhospital transportations. We presented the first two cases of AMI whose transfers were made by a helicopter ambulance for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. One patients (age 58 years, male) presented to a state hospital 47 km away from Ankara about an hour after the onset of chest pain. Time to reach the patients by a helicopter ambulance was 28 minutes and transfer to our center was 14 minutes. The other patient (age 76 years, male) was admitted within 15 minutes of the onset of chest pain to a state hospital 58 km away from Ankara. Reaching the patient by a helicopter ambulance and transferring him to our center took 30 minutes and 16 minutes, respectively. Door-to-balloon times were 16 minutes and 18 minutes, respectively. Infarct-related coronary artery patency was achieved in both cases.