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Humanitarian Aeromedical Retrieval using a Long-Range Commercial Aircraft: A Field Report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2024

Federico Emiliano Ghio ,
Alberto Zoli ,
Riccardo Stucchi ,
Carlo Serini ,
Simone Della Torre ,
Andrea Tomaselli ,
Aurelio Di Leo  and
Luca Carenzo Open the ORCID record for Luca Carenzo [Opens in a new window]
Federico Emiliano Ghio
Affiliation:
Critical Care Team, I-HELP, Milan, Italy
Alberto Zoli
Affiliation:
Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Milan, Italy
Riccardo Stucchi
Affiliation:
Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza (AREU), Milan, Italy
Carlo Serini
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
Simone Della Torre
Affiliation:
Critical Care Team, I-HELP, Milan, Italy
Andrea Tomaselli
Affiliation:
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
Aurelio Di Leo
Affiliation:
Confederazione Nazionale delle Misericordie D’Italia, Firenze, Italy
Luca Carenzo*
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
*
Correspondence: Luca Carenzo, MD Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital Via Manzoni 56 20089 Rozzano (MI), Italy E-mail: luca.carenzo@hunimed.eu
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Abstract

This field report presents the planning and execution of a large-scale aeromedical refugee retrieval operation amid the on-going Russia-Ukraine crisis. The retrieval was coordinated by the Italian Department of Civil Protection and led by the Centrale Remota Operazioni Soccorso Sanitario (CROSS), a governmental facility overseeing medical assistance. An Airbus A320 was chosen for its capacity of 165 passengers, with one emergency stretcher maintaining maximum seating. The aircraft was equipped with an Advanced Life Support kit, and specific considerations for medical equipment compliance were made. Special cases, including patients with on-going chemotherapy and end-stage kidney disease, underwent fit-to-fly screening. The boarding process in Lublin, Poland involved triage and arrangements for passengers with gastroenteric symptoms. Notably, 22 passengers with recent episodes of illness were isolated. The successful operation, demonstrating the viability of evacuating vulnerable individuals via commercial airlines, underscores the importance of precise planning and coordination in crisis situations.

Keywords

aeromedical retrievalhumanitarianUkraine

Information

Type
Disaster Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , February 2025 , pp. 48 - 51
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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Footnotes

Editor’s Note: This manuscript was peer-reviewed, revised, and accepted under the Emeritus Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the journal, Dr. Sam Stratton. The current EIC, Dr. Jeffrey Franc, acknowledges Dr. Stratton’s contributions in relation to the acceptance and publication of this article.

Article last updated on 27/01/2025.

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