The following criteria may help to select appropriate patients:
- Patient suffered a penetration injury in any part of the body between mid-thigh and head.
- Patient involved in motor vehicle accident (MVA) and ejected from vehicle.
- Patient was a pedestrian struck by a vehicle and thrown more than 15 feet.
- Patient suffered scalping or "degloving" injury.
- Patient involved in MVA with extrication requiring longer than 15 minutes.
- Patient sustaining a fall from a height greater than 20 feet.
- Patient involved in MVA in which the estimated speed of the vehicles exceeded 45 mph.
- Patient involved in traumatic event experiencing paralysis.
- Patient involved in traumatic event with other medical conditions (diabetes, COPD, CHF, etc.).
- Patient requires advanced life support (ALS) during transport and/or a patient airway can't be maintained.
- Patient is seriously ill or injured, land transport would be hazardous or delayed per road/traffic conditions.
- Patient suffered amputation or near amputation.
- Patient suffered burns of greater than 10 percent body surface or major burns of face, hands, feet or perineum.
Following are suggested indications for transport of infants requiring specialized care or observation:
- Any preterm baby weighing less than 1,500 grams
- Newborns less than 32-34 weeks gestational age
- Newborns with:
- Respiratory distress regardless of etiology
- Symptomatic congenital heart disease — cyanotic or acyanotic
- Signs or symptoms of sepsis or meningitis
- Congenital anomalies
- Seizures regardless of etiology
- Major life-threatening surgical problems
- Severe or persistent neonatal apnea
- Signs or symptoms of congestive heart failure
- Signs of bleeding disorders
- Newborn not doing well for unknown reasons.