Interhospital transport of pediatric patients requiring emergent care: current status in Turkey.

Soysal Demet D, Karaböcüoğlu Metin, Citak Agop, Uçsel Raif, Köroğlu Tolga, Yilmaz Hayri Levent, Doğruer Nesrin, Merter Fatma, Oztürk Adnan, Karapinar Bülent, Biçer Suat, Bak Mustafa, Yilmaz Aygen, Vatansever Ulfet, Bağci Soyhan, Kutlu Nurettin Onur, Aydoğan Metin, Sahin Figen, Zorlu Pelin, Ulukol Betül, Aşkin Sibel, Uzel Nedret

Department of Pediatrics, Medicine Faculty of Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2004 Jul;10(3):168-72.

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to evaluate the current situation of interhospital transport of pediatric patients requiring emergent care.

METHODS

Using a clinical prospective and multicenter design, 1,666 interhospital transports of pediatric patients were evaluated in 18 centers. Non-emergency transports and newborn transports were not included, so 854 transports were eligible for evaluation. Data were collected by means of a comprehensive form filled by a physician at the receiving hospital.

RESULTS

The physicians who gave the decisions for the transports were pediatricians in 60%, general physicians in 15.4%, and residents in 6%, while no identification existed in 159 transports (18.6%). The receiving hospitals were not notified prior to the transport in 79.3%. Pretransport information about the patients were adequate in 26.1% and inadequate in 31.8%; no information was available in 42.1%. Ambulances were used in 64.4% of the transports, of which only 16.2% was fully equipped. Unqualified or inexperienced personnel were in charge in 42.8% of the transports. In 26.3% of the transports, the patients arrived at the receiving hospital in an agonized state.