Emergency transportation of a 1000lb patient requiring assistance from the United States Army

This will involve the presentation of a patient with a weight of over 1000+ lbs who drove himself to a rural ED. This patient was previously unknown in the community regarding his weight. After admission, the patient went into respiratory arrest requiring innovative resuscitative measures. The transport of this patient was extremely complicated, and after multiple considerations, ended up requiring the resources of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Washington, DC, with eventual dispatch of an Army Reserve Chinook Helicopter that could handle the patient's weight. Myself, and two paramedics flew with the patient to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where challenges in his care continued. He was, however, able to be discharged in one month, and is now engaged with a weight loss program. Limited resources exist that can facilitate the emergency transfer of a patient this size.