Army helicopter casualty evacuations in Belize in 1995 and 1996

Since the withdrawal of Royal Air Force Puma helicopters from Belize in 1994, the role of casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) of British military personnel, Belizean and foreign nationals throughout the country, has passed to 25 Flight Army Air Corps, currently equipped with Gazelle helicopters. Details of causalty evacuations during 1995 and 1996 have been collated and analysed in order to provided information on casualty types, and the locations from which casualties have been evacuated, during this 2 year period. The data so obtained might be used to ensure the future provision of an appropriately equipped CASEVAC helicopter, or to highlight common causes of significant morbidity in Britian troops deployed to Belize.(AU)

The organisation of helicopter emergency services for the rescue of aircraft crash victims in the tropical forest

The purpose of this report was to describe lessons learned from experience in the tropical forest of Guyana and one helicopter rescue mission in that hostile environment. With previous data reported in the literature several guidelines for organizing these operations can be proposed. These rescue operations involve hoisting the victim to helicopter, medical treatment itself, and penetration into a hostile environment. Effectiveness and safety mandate that the physicians involved receive regular training in the techniques of helicopter evacuation, first aid, and survival. It is necessary to adapt conventional first aid kits for the purpose and to develop light and adequate survival equipment as listed exhaustively by the author.(AU)