Critically Ill Patient with Pulmonary Hypertension Airlifted to National Center with ECMO + IABP Support

A 46-year-old male with severe pulmonary hypertension and multi-organ failure was successfully transferred from Gaozhou to the National Center for Respiratory Medicine in Guangzhou via medical helicopter. Supported by ECMO and IABP, the transfer was safely executed by TKP Medical Assistance, marking another milestone in high-acuity air medical transport.

TKP medical experts coordinate with Gaozhou People’s Hospital staff to prepare the patient for transfer under ECMO and IABP support

A Life on the Edge: Pulmonary Hypertension Leads to Cardiopulmonary Collapse

Mr. Lin, a 46-year-old resident of Gaozhou, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and advanced heart failure (NYHA Class IV). His condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to multi-organ dysfunction and loss of consciousness. Despite endotracheal intubation and ICU admission, conventional treatments failed to stabilize his circulatory and respiratory systems. The local cardiac surgery team initiated Veno-Arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) combined with Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) support—a rare and aggressive life-saving intervention in regional hospitals.

Recognizing the need for advanced intervention, Mr. Lin’s family contacted TKP Medical Assistance on May 16, seeking emergency transfer to the National Center for Respiratory Medicine at Guangzhou Medical University First Affiliated Hospital.

The critically ill patient is carefully loaded into the medevac helicopter, with all life-support systems operational and secured

TKP Launches Rapid Medical Coordination and Airlift Protocol

Upon receiving the request, TKP dispatched a critical care medical team to Gaozhou the following day. Led by senior physician Dr. Cao Guohui, the team conducted a detailed bedside evaluation, confirming that the patient was hemodynamically stable under combined ECMO+IABP+ventilator support—meeting the minimum criteria for helicopter transfer.

TKP activated its “Aerial Rescue Protocol” and coordinated with CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co. to secure a dedicated medevac helicopter. Given the complexity of the patient’s condition and the absence of onboard hospital infrastructure in civilian helicopters, the success of the mission relied entirely on TKP’s self-sufficient, in-flight critical care capabilities.

TKP specialists hand over the patient to the ICU team at the National Center for Respiratory Medicine upon helicopter landing

Successful Airlift to Guangzhou Under Full Life Support

In the early morning of May 18, after final checks and cross-disciplinary coordination with Gaozhou People’s Hospital, TKP medical personnel loaded the patient into the helicopter and initiated the flight to Guangzhou.

Upon arrival at the helipad of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine, the patient was swiftly transferred to ICU, where the hospital’s ECMO team took over. The entire mission demonstrated not only speed and precision, but also TKP’s capacity to execute ultra-high-risk inter-facility transfers involving multiple advanced life support modalities.

This case was featured on the official WeChat account of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine, highlighting the collaboration between local hospitals and professional medevac services like TKP in building a regional high-dependency air transport network.

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