Introduction: Patients with serious cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) can be treated at a few facilities, and often require long distance transport. However, it requires extensive medical equipment. When alternatives are lacking, clinicians may request the Self-Defense Forces to transport these patients under “disaster relief” protocols. In this study, we compared adult and pediatric CVD cases transported by the Air Medical Evacuation Squadron (AMES). Methods: Eighteen pediatric and 13 adult cases of CVD evacuated by AMES between 2006 and 2023 were reviewed, with the medical records. Each patients’ age, main disease, purpose of transportation, evacuation distance, and use of mechanical ventilators or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were examined. Results: The average age was 2.0 ± 3.9 (0–13) years for children and 50.2 ± 17.8 (22–99) years for adults. The most prevalent disease was cardiomyopathy (15 children and four adults (83.3% vs. 30.8%, respectively; p<0.001), followed by heart failure (HF) zero children and seven adults (0% vs. 53.8%, respectively; p<0.001). The reason for transport was placement of a ventricular assist device (VAD) in 16 children and 11 adults (88.9% vs. 84.6%, respectively; p=0.13). The evacuate distance was 447.2 ± 232.0 miles in children and 358.5 ± 201.3 miles in adults (p=0.97), of whom three children and one adult traveled more than 600 miles. Thirteen children and nine adults (72.2% vs. 69.2%, respectively; p=0.15) were fitted with a ventilator, of whom six children and six adults (46.1% vs. 66.7%, respectively; p=0.021) were placed on ECMO. Conclusion: In cases of severe CVD transported by AMES, the most prevalent CVDs were cardiomyopathy and HF in children and adults, respectively. More adults than children were placed on ECMO. The majority of adults and children with CVD were transported for the installation of VAD.
Kurokawa et al. (Sun,) studied this question.