In a retrospective study of mission data of ADAC Air Rescue of the years 2000 and 2001 the quality of preclinical care of 1,946 patients with severe head injuries and 1,878 polytraumatized patients was examined. The actual preclinical care of these patients was compared with a catalogue of eleven thesis-like recommendations. These recommendations were previously derived from corresponding publications of national and international specialist companies and were introduced in a binding manner by the senior doctors of the participating air rescue centres. The results of the study show that 73.3% of the severe head injuries were preclinically intubated and 94.4% were supplied with oxygen, 82.2% were analgosedated. 94.8% could be delivered to the hospital of destination. 65.9% had a systolic blood pressure of >120 mmHg upon admission to the hospital. 71.4% of severe head injury victims were equipped with a cervical support, 23.3% had the blood pressure documented. 47.3% reached the hospital of destination in less than 60 minutes. Among polytraumatic patients the intubation was performed in 75.7%, the supply with oxygen in 90.7%, 88.6% of the patients were analgosedated. 78.7% of patients suffering from concomitant head injuries were provided with a cervical support and only 22.8% had a blood sugar measurement documented. A concomitant severe thorax trauma was treated by a thorax drainage in 59.2%. 35.6% of the polytraumata reached the hospital of destination in less than 60 minutes. The work describes the preclinical patient care of severe head injuries and polytraumata, pointing out deficits and presenting optimization possibilities, particularly in the area of training. Furthermore, the work shows the concept of the medical quality management in an air rescue enterprise. The total evaluation of all air rescue centres participating in data collection forms the basis of an external quality comparison. The data evaluation of a single station makes regional strengths and weaknesses visible, deficits can be proven and proposals for optimization be developed. The presentation of the time history of data yields continuous standard information on the state of the patient care at the relevant air rescue location and enables the analysis of improvement concepts based on the updated data.