Aeromedical Transfer of Patients with Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 5 - 14
• Main Authors: Nicol, Edward D, Mepham, Stephen, Naylor, Jonathan, Mollan, Ian, Adam, Matthew, d'Arcy, Joanna, Gillen, Philip, Vincent, Emma, Mollan, Belinda, Mulvaney, David, Green, Andrew, Jacobs, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.01.2019; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Aeromedical Transfer of Patients with Viral Hemorrhagic Fever; Air Ambulances; Air forces; Aircraft industry; Communicable diseases; Ebola hemorrhagic fever; Ebola virus; Health; hemorrhagic fever; Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - therapy; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - therapy; Hemorrhagic fevers; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral - therapy; Humans; Infection Control; Medical consultants; Military Personnel; patient isolation; Patient Isolation - instrumentation; Patient Isolation - methods; patient transfer; Patient Transfer - methods; Television broadcasting industry; Transportation of Patients; United Kingdom; viruses; United Kingdom; United States; Ebola virus; viruses; aerospace medicine; hemorrhagic fever; patient isolation; United Kingdom; aviation; infection control; patient transfer
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2501.180662
• ISSN: 1080-6040

For >40 years, the British Royal Air Force has maintained an aeromedical evacuation facility, the Deployable Air Isolator Team (DAIT), to transport patients with possible or confirmed highly infectious diseases to the United Kingdom. Since 2012, the DAIT, a joint Department of Health and Ministry of Defence asset, has successfully transferred 1 case-patient with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, 5 case-patients with Ebola virus disease, and 5 case-patients with high-risk Ebola virus exposure. Currently, no UK-published guidelines exist on how to transfer such patients. Here we describe the DAIT procedures from collection at point of illness or exposure to delivery into a dedicated specialist center. We provide illustrations of the challenges faced and, where appropriate, the enhancements made to the process over time.