Patrick Paris
2008-06-03 01:24:16 UTC
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=92860&provider=top
KOB-TV - In the crucial minutes it takes to get a critically injured
person to a trauma hospital, the use of an air ambulance could mean the
difference between life and death.
Those planes and helicopters are facing a growing challenge: the size of
patients they must transport.
For example, if you are seriously injured anywhere in New Mexico and
have to be airlifted to a medical facility, it will likely be University
of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.
The air ambulances that make those life-saving deliveries have a weight
limit of 350 pounds.
Any more than that and the plane can not get off the ground.
Those too large to be airlifted to Albuquerque have to take a slower
route; the patient has to be driven.
That was the case more than two weeks ago.
A man in rural northern New Mexico needed to be airlifted to the
hospital, but his size kept lifeguard from flying him.
The man did survive.
Besides the weight limit, there is also a girth limit for medical
aircraft.
Paramedics say they can only bring people inside the plane who can fit
through its door.
In situations where a patient can't be transported by air, the flight
nurse and paramedic go with the patient by ground ambulance, turning the
vehicle into a rolling intensive care unit.
Experts say incidents like these are rare, but growing.
In your voice
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Quacky wrote:
If they can't fit the patient through the door, or get off the ground, I
think they gave it their best shot. 6/2/2008 5:25 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
pacodenero wrote:
lets use the B17 thats in town to airlift the supersized! in the UK the
coast guard uses the Sea King, its a big bird but it does the trick!
6/2/2008 5:08 PM PDT on 9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
fiveten50fold wrote:
And I'm sure there will be fat people who will sue or use the
discrimination card. It's already bad enough they can get handicapped
parking because they can't put down the Twinkies. 6/2/2008 4:55 PM PDT
on 9news.com Recommend (1) Report Abuse
bella246 wrote:
Raysmom: You hit the nail on the head. Hats off to you!
6/2/2008 4:51 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
raysmom wrote:
These flight crews are handpicked by skills, and the machinery inside is
integrated- you cannot leave anyone or anything behind that the chopper
came with. And there ARE weight restrictions and fitness testing for
flying nurses. The crew that flew to the scene to help certainly must
feel frustrated, for the patient and themselves, in all fairness- they
take a risk every time they go out render aid. Whether it's because of a
medical condition or poor personal habits, these very obese people
cannot be transported by helicopter, and to infer that the crew is to
blame is the epitome of ignorance. 6/2/2008 4:09 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
sigmazero13 wrote:
Gary44 - First, if the person is going to be airlifted, the chances are
probably pretty good that the person isn't going to be coherent enough
that you COULD say that to them.
In any case, you make it sound like they are refusing to help at all;
this isn't the case, it's simply stating that if they are too
heavy/wide, they will be put on an ambulance instead. It's not worth
putting the paramedics at risk, when other alternatives are available.
Stourbridge - Sure, charge the paramedics with murder. However, if the
helicoptor crashes because of the excess weight, and the patient somehow
survives but the crewmembers are injured/killed, the patient should be
charged with murder or assault because it's their weight that caused the
accident. (sarcasm included free of charge). 6/2/2008 3:15 PM PDT on
9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
PDenver wrote:
Yes, Stour - and others of the same ilk - that's exactly what we're
saying . . . overweight = out of luck. Even if they could "leave off
some equipment" or "leave someone behind" --- what's the limit? What if
it STILL won't take off? Do we make them buy bigger aircraft? Again,
what's the limit? A 747? People like you can't - or won't think about
consequences. You just want someone else to be responsible when things
don't go the way you think they should. 6/2/2008 3:06 PM PDT on
9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
JumpingJackFlash wrote:
What none of you seem to understand is the flight concept known as
"Density Altitude" which affects all aircraft, particularly helicopters.
When it heats up throughout Colorado and especially in the high country,
the combination of heat and altitude degrades performance considerably.
I saw a helicopter try to takeoff at the Air Force Academy on a hot day
in July and it could not even get off the ground. Safety first; it does
no one any good when a rescue helicopter crashes. 6/2/2008 2:23 PM PDT
on 9news.com Recommend (2) Report Abuse
DJStone wrote:
I agree with bella246
6/2/2008 2:22 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
SeaBass1 wrote:
Gary44 wrote:
"So sunflwr and mtnbikegma - maybe you would like to tell a person,
sorry, we cant help you because you're too heavy or too wide. You,
because of your negligence to take care of yourself, should go away and
die. We are not going to help you regardless of why you are so large."
I don't know about sunflwr and mtnbikegma, but I think that would be
awesome to do. I'm not sure I could keep a straight face though.
6/2/2008 2:04 PM PDT on 9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
KOB-TV - In the crucial minutes it takes to get a critically injured
person to a trauma hospital, the use of an air ambulance could mean the
difference between life and death.
Those planes and helicopters are facing a growing challenge: the size of
patients they must transport.
For example, if you are seriously injured anywhere in New Mexico and
have to be airlifted to a medical facility, it will likely be University
of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.
The air ambulances that make those life-saving deliveries have a weight
limit of 350 pounds.
Any more than that and the plane can not get off the ground.
Those too large to be airlifted to Albuquerque have to take a slower
route; the patient has to be driven.
That was the case more than two weeks ago.
A man in rural northern New Mexico needed to be airlifted to the
hospital, but his size kept lifeguard from flying him.
The man did survive.
Besides the weight limit, there is also a girth limit for medical
aircraft.
Paramedics say they can only bring people inside the plane who can fit
through its door.
In situations where a patient can't be transported by air, the flight
nurse and paramedic go with the patient by ground ambulance, turning the
vehicle into a rolling intensive care unit.
Experts say incidents like these are rare, but growing.
In your voice
Read reactions to this story
Report item as: (required) X Obscenity/vulgarity Hate speech Personal
attack Advertising/Spam Copyright/Plagiarism Other Comment: (optional)
Quacky wrote:
If they can't fit the patient through the door, or get off the ground, I
think they gave it their best shot. 6/2/2008 5:25 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
pacodenero wrote:
lets use the B17 thats in town to airlift the supersized! in the UK the
coast guard uses the Sea King, its a big bird but it does the trick!
6/2/2008 5:08 PM PDT on 9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
fiveten50fold wrote:
And I'm sure there will be fat people who will sue or use the
discrimination card. It's already bad enough they can get handicapped
parking because they can't put down the Twinkies. 6/2/2008 4:55 PM PDT
on 9news.com Recommend (1) Report Abuse
bella246 wrote:
Raysmom: You hit the nail on the head. Hats off to you!
6/2/2008 4:51 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
raysmom wrote:
These flight crews are handpicked by skills, and the machinery inside is
integrated- you cannot leave anyone or anything behind that the chopper
came with. And there ARE weight restrictions and fitness testing for
flying nurses. The crew that flew to the scene to help certainly must
feel frustrated, for the patient and themselves, in all fairness- they
take a risk every time they go out render aid. Whether it's because of a
medical condition or poor personal habits, these very obese people
cannot be transported by helicopter, and to infer that the crew is to
blame is the epitome of ignorance. 6/2/2008 4:09 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
sigmazero13 wrote:
Gary44 - First, if the person is going to be airlifted, the chances are
probably pretty good that the person isn't going to be coherent enough
that you COULD say that to them.
In any case, you make it sound like they are refusing to help at all;
this isn't the case, it's simply stating that if they are too
heavy/wide, they will be put on an ambulance instead. It's not worth
putting the paramedics at risk, when other alternatives are available.
Stourbridge - Sure, charge the paramedics with murder. However, if the
helicoptor crashes because of the excess weight, and the patient somehow
survives but the crewmembers are injured/killed, the patient should be
charged with murder or assault because it's their weight that caused the
accident. (sarcasm included free of charge). 6/2/2008 3:15 PM PDT on
9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
PDenver wrote:
Yes, Stour - and others of the same ilk - that's exactly what we're
saying . . . overweight = out of luck. Even if they could "leave off
some equipment" or "leave someone behind" --- what's the limit? What if
it STILL won't take off? Do we make them buy bigger aircraft? Again,
what's the limit? A 747? People like you can't - or won't think about
consequences. You just want someone else to be responsible when things
don't go the way you think they should. 6/2/2008 3:06 PM PDT on
9news.com Recommend Report Abuse
JumpingJackFlash wrote:
What none of you seem to understand is the flight concept known as
"Density Altitude" which affects all aircraft, particularly helicopters.
When it heats up throughout Colorado and especially in the high country,
the combination of heat and altitude degrades performance considerably.
I saw a helicopter try to takeoff at the Air Force Academy on a hot day
in July and it could not even get off the ground. Safety first; it does
no one any good when a rescue helicopter crashes. 6/2/2008 2:23 PM PDT
on 9news.com Recommend (2) Report Abuse
DJStone wrote:
I agree with bella246
6/2/2008 2:22 PM PDT on 9news.com
Recommend Report Abuse
SeaBass1 wrote:
Gary44 wrote:
"So sunflwr and mtnbikegma - maybe you would like to tell a person,
sorry, we cant help you because you're too heavy or too wide. You,
because of your negligence to take care of yourself, should go away and
die. We are not going to help you regardless of why you are so large."
I don't know about sunflwr and mtnbikegma, but I think that would be
awesome to do. I'm not sure I could keep a straight face though.
6/2/2008 2:04 PM PDT on 9news.com Recommend Report Abuse