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HEMS vs road: guideline adherence in trauma

Guideline adherence in helicopter versus ground emergency medical services: an indication-based analysis of 129,783 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®
European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery · 2026-10-21 · Added 24 October 2026

Retrospective analysis of 129,783 severely injured patients in the German TraumaRegister DGU (physician-staffed helicopter and ground services) found HEMS patients, who were younger and more severely injured, had higher rates of guideline-recommended prehospital interventions, such as advanced airway in impaired consciousness (96.5% vs 82.9%) and prehospital chest drains (14.0% vs 5.5%).

Study type

Registry

Design

Retrospective multicentre registry cohort (TraumaRegister DGU, 2016–2024); both arms physician-staffed

Participants

129,783 adults with severe trauma (25% HEMS)

Main finding

HEMS patients had higher guideline-recommended intervention rates in every indication subgroup (advanced airway in impaired consciousness 96.5% vs 82.9%; prehospital chest tube 14.0% vs 5.5%); HEMS patients were also younger and more severely injured

Caveat

Both arms physician-staffed; descriptive analysis with no adjustment for injury severity or scene factors, so sicker HEMS patients may explain part of the gap

Bottom line

Context only

Learning goal

Understand how transport mode and scene factors influence adherence to trauma care guidelines in Australia.

More

• Topic: Trauma
• Daily scan: 24 October 2026
• Podcast: Paramedic Papers Daily, 24 October 2026

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