Helicopter Emergency Medical Service and Hospital Treatment Levels Affect Survival in Pediatric Trauma Patients

(1) Background: Data on the effects of helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) transport and treatment on the survival of severely injured pediatric patients in high-level trauma centers remain unclear. (2) Methods: A national dataset from the TraumaRegister DGU(R) was used to retrospectively compare the mortality rates among severely injured pediatric patients (1-15 years) who were transported by HEMS to those transported by ground emergency medical service (GEMS) and treated at trauma centers of different treatment levels (levels I-III). (3) Results: In total, 2755 pediatric trauma patients (age: 9.0 +/- 4.8 years) were included in this study over five years. Transportation by HEMS resulted in a significant survival benefit compared to GEMS (odds ratio (OR) 0.489; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.282-0.850). Pediatric trauma patients treated in level II or III trauma centers showed 34% and fourfold higher in-hospital mortality risk than those in level I trauma centers (level II: OR 1.34, 95% CI: 0.70-2.56; level III: OR 4.63, 95% CI: 1.33-16.09). (4) Conclusions: In our national pediatric trauma cohort, both HEMS transportation and treatment in level I trauma centers were independent factors of improved survival in pediatric trauma patients.