LAFAYETTE, La. — A revolutionary new study shows that despite common perception, the majority of air medical evacuations, or medevacs, are not from occupational injuries or trauma. Safety Management Systems Medical Director Donald P. Thibodaux, M.D., spearheaded a study on medevacs that was featured in the July issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The article, “Medical Evacuations from Oil Rigs off the Gulf Coast of the United States from 2008 to 2012: Reasons and Cost Implications,” used data of an average 1,609 yearly medical calls from 102 oil rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico from 2008 through 2012, with specific analysis of medevacs. Seven percent of all analyzed medical calls resulted in medevac needs. The study found that, on average, 77 percent of medevacs were for nonoccupational injury or illness. Only 23 percent were for occupationally related injury or illness.
For more information, visit www.safetyms.com or call (800) 252-5522.
