Air Ambulance Infectious patient transfer

MERS
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Ebola
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Tuberculosis

HI Flying understands that the management of patients with a history of healthcare contact in multiple countries is now a reality for many clinicians. Leisure tourism, the burgeoning industry of medical tourism, military conflict, natural disasters, and changing patterns of human migration may all contribute to this emerging epidemiological trend. Such individuals may be both vectors and victims of healthcare-associated infection with multiresistant bacteria. Current literature describes intercountry transfer of multiresistant Acinetobacter spp and Klebsiella pneumoniae (including Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase– and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase–producing strains), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and hypervirulent Clostridium difficile. 

 We have strict guidelines to recommend standard, contact, and airborne precautions during transportation of patients in Air Ambulance flights. We also emphasize additional elements of infection prevention and control programs that should be in place to prevent the transmission of any infectious agents including respiratory pathogens such as MERS-CoV in transport settings. These interim recommendations were informed by evidence-based infection prevention and control guidelines set by our medical team.