Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Emergencies at Sea

Helicopter medical evacuations at sea constitute a distinct category within medical evacuations due to the specific maritime and aviation conditions. In recent years, the SAR system has been modernized at all levels, thereby improving overall patient care. Cardiovascular emergencies are the leading cause of medical evacuation and are typically dominated by acute coronary syndromes. These are serious conditions, with a mortality rate of 20%, affecting high-risk patients who often overlook the initial symptoms. The constraints of the maritime and aviation environments greatly influence response times and require the medical team to constantly adapt. While therapeutic management is guided by guidelines, diagnosis remains difficult in a perilous setting, which makes these medical evacuations unique. This is why the ECG remains the key test in the management of an acute cardiovascular event at sea.