Transportation of Medical Staff by Helicopter to Manage a Concealed Delivery at Home

Air Med J. 2023 Nov-Dec;42(6):496-498. doi: 10.1016/j.amj.2023.06.005. Epub 2023 Jul 1.

Abstract

An unmarried pregnant woman felt lower abdominal pain. She rested in bed in her room on the second floor in her home. The next day she performed a delivery by herself. After the neonate cried, her parents noticed the birth and called an ambulance. After receiving the first call, the fire department decided to request the dispatch of a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Eastern Shizuoka, in addition to dispatching an ambulance. After receiving the request, the helicopter emergency medical service transported 1 neonatal intensive care unit physician along with the original medical staff members of the fire department. Then, the 3 medical staff members were transported to the home by another ambulance. When emergency medical technicians climbed up a steep narrow ladder to enter the room, both the mother and female neonate were connected by the umbilical cord. Their vital signs were stable. At 30 minutes after delivery, the medical staff reached the mother and neonate and cut the umbilical cord. The mother and neonate were evacuated separately from the room but transported in the same ambulance. The ambulance transported them with the medical staff members to our hospital directly. Their postadmission courses were uneventful, and they were discharged. This is the first case report to send medical staff members to the patient's home by helicopter and ambulance to provide medical intervention for the neonate and her mother. Further prospective studies are needed in the future to determine whether this action could lead to favorable outcomes in both neonates and maternal bodies.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Air Ambulances*
  • Aircraft
  • Ambulances
  • Emergency Medical Services*
  • Female
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Medical Staff