If a loved one needs to be quickly transported to another hospital, then he or she may need the services of an air ambulance company. Air ambulances are staffed with highly trained medical professionals who can treat just about any medical condition or emergency. These include cardiac problems, heavy bleeding, extreme pain, and even broken bones. The staff members are also trained to treat patients who have viral infections. Here are some interventions that the air ambulance company staff may implement if your loved one has a virus.
Temperature, Pulse, And Respiration Checks
During the flight, a medical staff member will monitor your loved one's vital signs such as temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate. Viral infections often cause elevations in body temperature, a rapid or irregular pulse rate, and breathing pattern abnormalities.
Frequent monitoring of these vital signs can help ensure that quick treatment interventions are implemented. For example, if your loved one has an elevated temperature, antipyretic medication can be administered by mouth or intravenously. Also, if your loved one's pattern of breathing is abnormal, the ambulance staff member may elect to administer oxygen via a nasal cannula or a face mask.
Oxygen administration can help restore an effective pattern of breathing in patients who have viral infections. Proper oxygenation levels are extremely important in patients with febrile viral infections because the high altitudes of a pressurized aircraft cabin can affect breathing.
Maintain Hydration
Optimal hydration is crucial to people who have viral infections, especially if they have fevers. The air ambulance staff will frequently offer the patient fluids to help prevent dehydration and to help lower an elevated temperature. If the patient is unable to take fluids by mouth, the ambulance staff member may give the patient fluids intravenously.
If the patient who has a fever does not receive adequate hydration, hyperthermia may develop, which can lead to organ damage, respiratory distress, and seizures. In addition to maintaining adequate hydration, the medical staff may cover the patient with a special cooling blanket to further lower the body temperature. An effective alternative to a cooling blanket is applying ice packs to the pulse points of the body.
If your loved one needs to be transported to a medical facility, call an air ambulance company for information. The representative will explain the transport procedure and address all of the concerns that you may have regarding medication treatment options, emergency procedures, and how many passengers can accompany the patient to the destination.
To learn more, contact an air ambulance company.
