Experiences and Challenges Faced During Transportation of Critically Ill Patients

Abstract

Objective: This study is aimed to assess the incidence of major events during transportation of critically ill patients.\nMethods: A prospective observational study was conducted in 200 patients during inter hospital transportation from January 2017 to December 2017 at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Kochi after fulfilling both inclusion and exclusion criteria. The main objective is to assess the incidence of major events during transportation of critically ill patients. The variables recorded in this study includes age, gender, co-morbidities, airway, breathing, circulation - related events during inter hospital transportation and duration of transportation. Inclusion criteria includes critically ill patients in the age group of 18 - 100 years and exclusion criteria includes pregnant patients.\nResults: On assessing the data of all 200 critically ill patients who had undergone inter hospital transport about 38.5% patients had major events compromising the circulation .In this study Hypertension (27.5%) is the more common baseline disease that deteriorated while transportation.38.5% of study population had major events compromising the circulation ,12.5% had major events in breathing and 35.5% patients had no major events in their airway,breathing and circulation during transportation.\nConclusion: During the transportation of critically ill patients under the monitoring of trained medical personnel 38.5% of major events occurred in the circulation part. Respiratory issues were presented in 27% patients (54), of which 30 had desaturation and remaining had tachypnea, which was managed by NIV or Invasive ventilation. 5% of patients had airway compromise, managed by appropriate basic or advanced airway maneuvers. Hence pre transport checklist and continuous monitoring by an experienced medical personnel is necessary for the prevention of adverse events during transportation.\n\nKey words: Critically ill patients, Interhospital transportation, major events.