Review of the aeromedical evacuation system construction in western military forces

Abstract

Objective To conclude the essentials of an aeromedical evacuation (AE) system by reviewing the characteristics and development tendency of AE system in western armed forces.Literature resource and selection Domestic and abroad published monographs, papers and research reports in the relevant field. Literature quotation Twenty-seven papers and articles were cited.Literature synthesis As the preferred option of western countries in recent years, AE has achieved great success in organizing, commanding, medical supporting, equipment supplying, professional training and regulation system constructing and also played an irreplaceable role in both wartime and peacetime of casualty retrieval. Nowadays, the western countries are focusing on enhancing en-route care ability by improving medical aircraft's functions, developing more airborne medical equipments,and training more professional AE personnel. At same time, delivering telemed service on board is an important tendency of western AE system construction. Conclusion It is essential to establish the self-contained organization and commanding system, to accelerate the development of dedicated medical aircraft as well as to improve AE personnel training in building Chinese AE system. Key words: Emergency medical services; Transportation of patients; Air ambulances; Review literature