Emergency Medical Service helicopters may be key to protecting half the U.S. population from the effects of a stroke. So says Daniel Hankins, M.D., president of the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS), in reference to a recently released study.

The research, led by Dr. Brendan Car, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, noted that 45 percent of Americans, or approximately 135 million people, live more than one hour’s drive from primary stroke centers where urgent care can save lives or minimize a stroke’s effects.

“This study is significant in that it identifies substantial gaps in access [to stroke centers], which, if bridged through the use of medical helicopters, could substantially reduce the incidence of death and disability caused by stroke–the third leading fatal medical condition and chief cause of long-term disability in the United States,” Dr. Hankins said.

The AAMS and its operators, who have been the focus of scrutiny over the safety record of EMS helicopters, say the study establishes a need to include stroke victims in protocols that call for helicopter transport; helicopter EMS missions currently focus on trauma patients.

“Approximately 83 percent of the U.S. population has access to trauma care within 60 minutes,” Dr. Hankins said, “and stroke patients deserve similar life-saving medical access.”

An AAMS spokeswoman told Aviation Week today that the study has yet to be formally published, but was presented recently at an international conference on strokes. Dr. Carr, the study’s lead author, was unavailable for comment.

Photo credit: Artie Werkle/Palm Beach County Fire Rescue