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[Transportation of the critical newborn infant and child]
P Ferrarese1, A Pettenazzo, D Trevisanuto
1Dipartimento di Pediatria, Università di Padova, Italia.
Insights
Organized neonatal and pediatric transport teams improve outcomes for critically ill newborns and children. This review outlines the principles and procedures for effective interhospital transfers, enhancing patient care.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care
- Emergency Medicine
- Transport Medicine
Background:
- Advances in neonatal and pediatric critical care enhance outcomes for high-risk newborns and children.
- Effective interhospital transport programs are essential for resource allocation and regionalized perinatal care.
- Organized transport teams demonstrably reduce infant mortality and morbidity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of the role, principles, and operating procedures of neonatal-pediatric transport teams.
- To discuss the basis of clinical stabilization before and during interhospital transfer.
- To present data from the initial 17 months of experience of the Neonatal-Pediatric Transport Service at the University of Padua.
Main Methods:
- Review of established guidelines and recommendations for safe interhospital transfer of neonates, infants, and children.
- Description of critical elements for successful transport systems: personnel training, equipment selection, organization, and communication.
- Analysis of clinical data from a specific Neonatal-Pediatric Transport Service.
Main Results:
- Established guidelines exist for safe interhospital transfers, emphasizing training, equipment, organization, and communication.
- Organized transport teams are associated with reduced mortality and morbidity in infants.
- The University of Padua's Neonatal-Pediatric Transport Service has initiated operations, with initial data to be presented.
Conclusions:
- Effective interhospital transport programs, guided by established principles and robust team organization, are crucial for optimal care of critically ill neonates and children.
- Clinical stabilization protocols before and during transfer are fundamental to improving patient outcomes.
- The experience of the Padua Neonatal-Pediatric Transport Service will contribute to understanding the practical application and benefits of such specialized services.
Abstract:
Advance in the science and technology of neonatal and pediatric critical care have resulted in improved outcome for high risk newborn and children. Effective interhospital transport programmes are necessary for the appropriate use of resources and has become an integral component of regionalized perinatal care. It is now well established that use of an organized neonatal and pediatric transport team results in a fall in mortality and morbidity of infant. The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologist and, recently, American Academy of Pediatrics published guidelines and recommendations for safe interhospital transfer of neonates, infants and children. Training of personnel, selection of equipment, organization and communication between hospitals are critical elements of a successful transport system. We present an overview of the role, principles and operating procedures of such neonatal-pediatric transport team and the basis of clinical stabilization before and during transfer. We also discuss data of the first 17 month experience of the Neonatal-Pediatric Transport Service of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua.