Cottrell J J, Garrard C
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA.
BMJ. 1989 Apr 1;298(6677):869-70. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6677.869.
Recently there has been an explosive growth in the use of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft for the transportation of patients who are ill and injured. Although using such methods of transport may result in faster access to health care centres, their ultimate role for the civilian population is unclear. Unfortunately, there are many problems associated with aeromedical transport, particularly with rotary wing aircraft, which have shown an alarming tendency to crash. The use of lighter than air vehicles (blimps, hot air balloons) might offer most of the advantages of conventional aieromedical transport, with an appreciable improvement in safety.
最近，使用直升机和固定翼飞机运送伤病员的情况呈爆发式增长。尽管采用这种运输方式可能会更快地抵达医疗中心，但其对平民的最终作用尚不清楚。不幸的是，空中医疗运输存在许多问题，尤其是旋翼飞机，其坠毁倾向令人担忧。使用轻于空气的飞行器（飞艇、热气球）可能会具备传统空中医疗运输的大部分优势，同时安全性会有显著提高。
