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A Novel Pediatric-Inclusive Biocontainment Transport Model: Evaluation of the US Portable Biocontainment Unit during

Tress Goodwin1,2, Casey Walther3, Tschuna Patterson3

  • 1The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
|August 10, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) transport requires specialized planning. This study highlights the need for pediatric-specific communication, resources, and caregiver support in biocontainment units.

Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Infectious Disease
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • National biocontainment transport systems, historically adult-focused, lack pediatric-specific guidance.
  • Pediatric patients have unique developmental, psychosocial, and clinical needs during transport.
  • Limited operational experience exists for pediatric high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) transport.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe pediatric observations from the first deployment of the Portable Biocontainment Unit (PBCU).
  • To identify considerations for pediatric-inclusive HCID transport.
  • To inform improvements in national biocontainment transport systems.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative, observational evaluation during a national full-scale exercise.
  • Data collection via interviews with pediatric actors/caregivers and evaluator observations.
  • Multi-disciplinary debriefings to analyze simulated pediatric biocontainment transport scenarios.

Main Results:

  • Pediatric transport necessitates advance planning for distinct developmental, psychosocial, and physiological needs.
  • Pediatric participants experienced anxiety due to environmental factors (noise, PPE) and caregiver separation.
  • Effective communication strategies and pediatric-specific clinical resources (medication guides) are crucial.

Conclusions:

  • The inaugural PBCU deployment with pediatric participants identified key operational and psychosocial considerations.
  • Integrating pediatric-specific planning, communication, and resources is vital for biocontainment transport.
  • Findings can inform international pediatric HCID transport planning.
Abstract

Keywords:
BiocontainmentDisaster PreparednessHigh-Consequence Infectious DiseaseMedical TransportPediatrics

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