Internal Medicine · 2 h ago
HES Use in German Helicopter EMS Fell to 0.2%–0.3% by 2022
A retrospective analysis of 1,175,386 patient-contact missions by two German helicopter emergency medical service operators found a marked decline in hydroxyethyl starch (HES) use. By 2022, HES was recorded in 0.2% of ADAC missions and 0.3% of DRF missions; the analysis does not establish the safety or effectiveness of HES in prehospital patients.
- HES use declined significantly in both operators’ databases.
- By 2022, use was below 0.3% of missions.
- The analysis did not assess patient outcomes or safety.
Researchers analyzed operational databases from ADAC Luftrettung and DRF Luftrettung to describe HES infusion use during helicopter emergency medical service missions. The ADAC data covered 811,000 patient-contact missions from 2004 to 2022; DRF data covered 364,386 missions from 2012 to 2022. The operators’ records were analyzed separately, and the study assessed annual counts and proportions rather than patient outcomes.
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Critical Care: Hydroxyethyl starch for prehospital fluid resuscitation: results of two helicopter emergency medical service operators in Germany ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.