Medical evacuation during your pregnancy: what you should know

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Bringing a message of joy, a pregnancy is typically without significant risk. However, not all women live it as a fulfilling experience, particularly if they are prone to high-risk pregnancies, have pregnancy complications, or have preexisting health issues that increase health risks for both themselves and their baby. Contact your obstetrician-gynecologist or another health care professional if you experience any unexpected or unusual symptoms while expecting. If you are unable to obtain the necessary medical care in your home country, prioritize your own comfort and safety, as well as the comfort and safety of your little bundle of joy, by chartering an ambulance jet for medical evacuation through Medical Air Service.

The key points to remember about long-distance medical evacuation during your pregnancy:

  • High-risk pregnancies put the pregnant woman's and her unborn child's health at risk.
  • Premature labor, abnormal vaginal bleeding/discharge, and persistent pain are all cause for concern.
  • If local medical assistance is unavailable, consider seeking advanced care abroad, a process referred to as medical evacuation.
  • A commercial medical escort can accompany medically stable passengers on their flight, but a private ambulance jet is preferred in life-threatening situations.

What are the situations that may require medical evacuation during your pregnancy?

A high-risk pregnancy or being pregnant with complications increases the health risks for the pregnant woman and her unborn child. A pregnancy can be dangerous due to certain medical conditions, as well as the age of the expecting mother (being over 35 or under 17 when pregnant). As a result, pregnant women who suffer from the following complications and are unable to obtain appropriate medical care locally may require medical evacuation to hospitals that are significantly better:

  • Vaginal bleeding;
  • Premature labor;
  • Untreated gestational diabetes;
  • Uncontrolled gestational hypertension.

mother and child

All pregnancies are risky, but some are more than others. A "high-risk" pregnancy is defined as any pregnancy that poses increased health risks to the pregnant woman, the fetus (unborn baby), or both. Some examples of complicated pregnancies include the following health conditions:

  • Fibroids;
  • Diabetes;
  • HIV/AIDS;
  • Kidney disease;
  • Thyroid disease
  • COVID-19 and other infections;
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS);
  • Mental health disorders, such as depression;
  • Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis (MS);
  • and others

Women who have complicated pregnancies may need extra care before, during, and after giving birth and should be closely monitored. If advanced medical care outside of the home country can help reduce the possibility of complications and stillbirth, it should be sought.

If you experience any of the following symptoms during pregnancy, regardless of whether your pregnancy is considered high-risk, contact your doctor right away:

  • Chest pain;
  • Extreme fatigue;
  • Heart palpitations;
  • Trouble breathing;
  • Dizziness or fainting;
  • Persistent abdominal pain;
  • Persistent fever of over 38°C/100.4°F;
  • Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge;
  • Swelling, redness or pain in the face or limbs;
  • The unborn baby's movement slowed or stopped;
  • Severe headache that gets worse or won’t go away;
  • Nausea and vomiting that’s worse than normal morning sickness.

If your local healthcare facilities are unable to treat any of these emergencies during your pregnancy, consider seeking better medical care abroad.

pregnant in airplane

Should you fly commercially for medical evacuation during your pregnancy?

Pregnancy alters a woman’s anatomy and physiology significantly. As a result, air travel during pregnancy is not advised for women who have medical or obstetric conditions that may be aggravated by high altitude or who require in-flight emergency care.

Indeed, changes in a commercial airliner's cabin pressure, low humidity, and decreased oxygen levels, when combined with pregnancy's physiologic changes, result in adaptations such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and hypobaric hypoxia, all of which pose a risk to the mother and her fetus. This unusual environment not only causes increased dehydration, acute fatigue, or even mental destabilization, but it also causes a significant decrease in aerobic capacity, and prolonged immobility is known to be associated with an increased risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

The duration of the flight should also be considered when planning an international medical flight. Lower extremity edema and, as previously stated, venous thrombotic events, which are associated with long hours of air travel immobilization and low cabin humidity, have recently become the focus of attention. Furthermore, because severe air turbulence cannot be predicted and poses a high risk of trauma if it occurs, pregnant women should not take flying commercially lightly.

Did you know that? Most airlines do not allow pregnant women to fly after the 36th week. While different airlines have their own set of rules, this is usually the standard.

Are commercial medical escorts a viable option for medical evacuation during your pregnancy?

Medical flights can take the form of a scheduled airliner operated by a regular airline. In this case, and assuming that your doctor or the airline company has approved your fitness to travel, you can use our medical escort service to ensure your comfort and safety during the flight. A commercial medical escort is a qualified medic who travels with you on a regular flight, providing support and treatment along the way.

When combined with our bed-to-bed service, our medical escorts accompany our patients from pick-up to destination. They will help with road transfers to and from airports, airport check-ins and transfers, toilet breaks if needed, and hand-over to the receiving medical team. It is an all-inclusive service in every sense of the word.

However, it should be noted that our medical escort service is usually reserved for pregnant passengers whose condition is not life-threatening. As a result, when dealing with pregnancy complications and planning a low-risk trip, you want the shortest possible lead time and the best possible care while flying. This implies that you should charter a private medical flight for the medical evacuation.

infant sleeping

What role does an air ambulance play in a medical evacuation during pregnancy?

Air ambulances play a significant role in the medical evacuation of at-risk pregnant women. We can plan medical evacuations "in utero", i.e., organize the long-distance transportation of the mother with the unborn child, in our air ambulances.

We are happy to fly high-risk pregnant women in our specially designed air ambulances. It does not require you to wait for a commercial flight operating on an airline's schedule, which you cannot afford if your due date is approaching or you are experiencing life-threatening complications. However, the benefits of our air ambulance charter do not stop there.

Medical Air Service has the necessary equipment to fly mothers and their babies as safely as possible. Our ambulance jets are capable of carrying cutting-edge medical technology. For example, Patient Monitoring Equipment is part of our maternity arsenal which helps monitor vital signs.

It is also more difficult for doctors to monitor the vital signs of a newborn throughout the pregnancy, especially if they are not properly equipped. It is even more critical because the health of a newborn can deteriorate so quickly. This is why, if necessary, we can equip our medical jets with fetal monitors which can detect changes in high-risk otherwise normal pregnancies, ensuring your safety during the medical evacuation.

Pregnant women frequently have high blood pressure, which can lead to complications for both mothers and babies. This can make it difficult for the fetus to get enough oxygen, which can lead to premature birth as well as kidney damage, stroke, and seizures in mothers. Our on-board medical team can monitor blood pressure throughout the flight with our sphygmomanometer and take the necessary steps to stabilize the patient.

To carry out such a medical evacuation safely and operate these complex medical devices, our ambulance jets are manned with specialist healthcare professionals, namely an adult intensive care physician and a neonatologist.

pediatric incubator

We also offer neonatal and pediatric transport

The smallest patients frequently present the most difficult medical challenges – this is especially true in aeromedical transport. These fragile patients require intensive and continuous care, including close temperature control, cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic monitoring, and intervention as needed, and they are acutely sensitive to even minor environmental changes such as noise, air pressure, temperature, and vibration.

To cater to their needs during the medical evacuation, we are constantly investing in fully-equipped transport incubators, complete with neonatal heated/humidified ventilators and invasive/non-invasive monitoring. Providing the same level of care as a hospital NICU, they allow HFNC (High Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen), CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and mechanical ventilation.

To continue, we can pride ourselves as a leader in neonatal and pediatric air ambulance transport thanks to our highly specialized and experienced team of doctors and nurses, as well as our ongoing investment in cutting-edge technology. Each medical evacuation mission is staffed by a team of specialists. When necessary, a physician with years of experience in neonatal and pediatric medicine from one of our teams is also available.

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Contact us today for a medical evacuation during your pregnancy!

Transporting any pregnant patient is difficult, both medically and logistically, and involves risks – but our expertise and experience allow us to reduce those risks and provide the best care possible in the air for every patient.

Contact the experts at Medical Air Service to learn more about our medical evacuation services for pregnant women in need of medical care overseas.

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