HEMS
Medical abbreviation · Emergency Medicine
| Stands for | Helicopter emergency medical services |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
HEMS stands for Helicopter emergency medical services, an emergency medicine abbreviation.
Air ambulance services using helicopters to reach scenes and transfer critically ill or injured patients quickly to specialized hospitals, especially over long distances or difficult terrain.
Example: HEMS launched to rural MVC; 22-minute flight to level I trauma center.
Usage notes
Crews usually include a flight nurse and flight paramedic. Weather and safety rules limit flights, and the industry's crash record led to stricter federal regulations in 2014. Appropriate use is debated because flights are expensive.
Related abbreviations
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- FAST – Focused assessment with sonography for trauma
- FB – Foreign body
- GLF – Ground-level fall
- GSW – Gunshot wound
- HCP – Health care proxy
- HCPOA – Health care power of attorney
- HICS – Hospital Incident Command System
- ICS – Incident Command System
- IFT – Interfacility transport
- IHCA – In-hospital cardiac arrest
- ISS – Injury Severity Score
- KED – Kendrick Extrication Device
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.