67 €/km, which was less expensive than PLX4032 regular air ambulance in the present study (7.49 €/km).6 The average cost per case was 12.992 €±11.445 € (1,458–114.078 €). A stretcher in a scheduled aircraft was significantly cheaper than in an air ambulance (p

< 0.0001). The AE is an established form of transportation for patients who fall ill abroad. An improvement in the epidemiological data on repatriation cases is desirable, as it is likely to improve the logistic, medical, and economic aspects of the planning process. Currently, epidemiological data on this form of air transportation are sparse, which is why this study was undertaken. In concordance with Chawla and colleagues, who investigated 100 stretcher cases in India, we found that trauma cases (femoral neck fracture) and stroke, together with myocardial infarction, were the most common diagnoses in our group of 504 aeromedical repatriation cases.7 A variety of private companies, aid agencies, and airlines have

specialized in aeromedical transportation. For example, Lufthansa, the largest German airline, has developed the PTC, which is an independent, fully enclosed intensive care module that is placed inside the cabin of a commercial aircraft. It can be installed in wide-bodied aircraft like the B 747-400, the A330-300, and the A 340-300/600 during routine time spent on the ground in Frankfurt am Main Airport, Germany. One of its advantages is the floor space inside the module,

which measures 6 m2 and offers normal standing height. RXDX-106 cost A flight attendant with training as an intensive care nurse or paramedic accompanies every PTC transport. Whether it has operative or medical advantages compared to other forms of air transportation cannot be evaluated due to the small number of cases in this study (n = 3; 0.6%). Metalloexopeptidase The costs of PTC transport were also not evaluated in the present study because of the small number of cases. Instead, we compared the previously published PTC transport costs (€/km) with the data in the present study. Compared to scheduled aircraft, which have an economic advantage, the benefit of an air ambulance is its high degree of availability and flexibility regarding patient transportation. Patients can be picked up at small airports that are often closer to the hospital of origin than larger airports operated by scheduled airlines. However, in cases of long-distance flights, their fueling stops can be more frequent compared to scheduled aircraft because air ambulances have a shorter range. Both PTC and air ambulances are capable of providing medical monitoring and treatment at the ICU level. Given the economic restraints on insurance companies and health-care systems, the economic aspects of AE need to be critically evaluated.