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[Transport of infants at risk (author's transl)]
Insights
An organized transport system for premature infants and newborns significantly reduced mortality rates by over 40%. This specialized care improved outcomes for critically ill neonates and young children.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric transport medicine
- Emergency medicine
Context:
- The study evaluated a two-year experience with transporting premature infants, newborns, and children up to two years old.
- Most patients were premature and newborn infants from outside the Aachen region, transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit.
- This initiative addressed the need for specialized care for critically ill neonates.
Purpose:
- To assess the impact of an organized transportation system for critically ill neonates and young children.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile intensive care unit in reducing mortality and improving access to specialized care.
- To analyze the changes in mortality rates before and after the implementation of the transport system.
Summary:
- The specialized transport system primarily served premature and newborn infants, with a notable percentage of lifeborns in 1976 and 1977.
- A 21.2% mortality rate was observed among transported infants, but the overall neonatal mortality in the hospital decreased by 3.68%.
- The number of deceased neonates decreased by over 40% following the system's implementation, with some newborns remaining in maternity hospitals.
Impact:
- The organized transportation system led to a significant reduction in neonatal mortality, by more than 40%.
- It facilitated access to advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in specialized centers, reducing risks for young patients.
- The system improved the overall quality of care for critically ill infants and children, contributing to better health outcomes.
Abstract:
We report upon a two-years experience with transportation of prematures, newborn infants and children up to two years of age. Most patients were prematures and newborn infants (1.38% of lifeborns in 1976 and 1.83% in 1977) out of the region of Aachen. They were transferred to the intensive care unit of the children's hospital (primary transport). 21.2% of them died. The mortality rate of all neonates, treated in the children's hospital, was reduced by 3.68% in comparison to the period before organized transportation system three years ago. The number of deceased was diminished by more than 40%. Some of the newborns remained in the maternity hospitals after first providing by the "transport-team". We also transported children up to two years of age with the mobile intensive care unit. Diagnostical and therapeutical procedures in other departments of the hospital of Aachen and other specialized centres became possible because of diminished risk.