New service will use airplane as ambulance

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A new fixed-wing air ambulance will serve patients in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Louisiana, officials say. <br><br>Cardiac Air Transport, created by Oklahoma's largest group

Thursday, April 8th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A new fixed-wing air ambulance will serve patients in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Louisiana, officials say.

Cardiac Air Transport, created by Oklahoma's largest group of heart specialists, is designed to complement helicopter ambulances, medical director Dr. Dwayne Schmidt said.

``CAT is equipped to rush critical care patients from rural Oklahoma hospitals to the more specialized urban hospitals with the best available in-flight care,'' Schmidt said.

The Cessna Grand Caravan Turboprop plane is certified to give critical care to patients who have had heart attacks or other coronary problems, Schmidt said. The aircraft, affiliated with the Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates and the Oklahoma Heart Hospital, will fly out of Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City.

Using an airplane gives the ambulance greater range than a helicopter and allows it to fly in worse weather. The airplane will not go to accident sites.

The plane is equipped with a defibrillator, ventilator, heart monitor, balloon pumps, pacemaker, intravenous drips and medications.

Flights can range between $1,500 and $6,000, Schmidt said.