Safety Risk Analysis and Systematic Improvement Strategies for Intrahospital Transport of Patients Following General...

To systematically analyze the current safety status of intrahospital transport for patients recovering from general anesthesia, identify primary risk factors, and propose data-driven, systematic improvement strategies.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on transport monitoring records of 255 patients who underwent general anesthesia in a tertiary hospital.

Transport duration, data integrity rate, and changes in oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and pulse rate (PR) were statistically analyzed.

The mean transport duration was (9.68 ± 4.25) minutes, with a median time of 9.40 minutes. The overall monitoring data integrity rate was 75.35%. The incidence of hypoxemia (SpO₂ less than 90%) reached 50.59% (129/255). The mean minimum SpO₂ was (88.96 ± 4.40)%, and the mean maximum PR was (89.22 ± 16.46) bpm, indicating significant physiological fluctuations.

Even after meeting discharge criteria, patients undergoing general anesthesia exhibit physiological instability during intrahospital transport, characterized by a high incidence of hypoxemia and significant gaps in monitoring data, which may precipitate anesthesia-related safety incidents. Therefore, constructing a safety system encompassing standardized procedures, enhanced team safety awareness, and technological empowerment is a crucial measure to mitigate transport risks and ensure patient safety following general anesthesia.