The QUality of Interhospital Transportation in the Euregion Meuse-Rhine (QUIT-EMR) score: a cross-validation study

ObjectivesInterhospital transports of critically ill patients are high-risk medical interventions. Well-established parameters to quantify the quality of transports are currently lacking. We aimed to develop and cross-validate a score for interhospital transports.SettingAn expert panel developed a score for interhospital transport by a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU), the QUality of Interhospital Transportation in the Euregion Meuse-Rhine (QUIT-EMR) score. The QUIT-EMR score is an overall sum score that includes component scores of monitoring and intervention variables of the neurological (proxy for airway patency), respiratory and circulatory organ systems, ranging from −12 to +12. A score of 0 or higher defines an adequate transport. The QUIT-EMR score was tested to help to quantify the quality of transport.ParticipantsOne hundred adult patients were randomly included and the transport charts were independently reviewed and classified as adequate or inadequate by four transport experts (ie, anaesthetists/intensivists).Outcome measuresSubsequently, the level of agreement between the QUIT-EMR score and expert classification was calculated using Gwet’s AC1.ResultsFrom April 2012 to May 2014, a total of 100 MICU transports were studied. The median (IQR) QUIT-EMR score was 1 (0–2). Experts classified six transports as inadequate. The percentage agreement between the QUIT-EMR score and experts’ classification for adequate/inadequate transport ranged from 84% to 92% (Gwet’s AC10.81–0.91). The interobserver agreement between experts was 87% to 94% (Gwet’s AC10.89–0.98).ConclusionThe QUIT-EMR score is a novel validated tool to score MICU transportation adequacy in future studies contributing to quality control and improvement.Trial registration numberNTR 4937.

Interhospital transport of children with bronchiolitis by a statewide emergency transport service

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the rate of interhospital emergency transport for bronchiolitis and intensive care admission following the introduction of high flow nasal cannula and standardised paediatric observation and response charts. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A statewide paediatric intensive care transport service and its two referral paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Children less than 2 years old emergently transported with bronchiolitis during two time periods: 2008–2012 and 2015–2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence rates of bronchiolitis transport episodes, PICU admissions and respiratory support. RESULTS: 802 children with bronchiolitis were transported during the study period, 233 in the first period (2008–2012) and 569 in the second period (2015–2019). The rate of interhospital transport for bronchiolitis increased from 32.9 to 71.8 per 100 000 children aged 0–2 years. The population-adjusted rate of PICU admission increased from 16.2 to 36.6 per 100 000 children aged 0–2 years. Metropolitan hospitals were the predominant referral source and this increased from 60.1% of transports to 78.6% (P < 0.001). In children admitted to a PICU, the administration of high flow nasal cannula during transport increased significantly from 1.7% to 75.9% (P < 0.001) and a concomitant reduction in continuous positive airway pressure and mechanical ventilation occurred (40–12.4% and 27–6.9% respectively; P < 0.001). The proportion of mechanical ventilation as well as PICU and hospital length of stay decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: The population-adjusted rate of interhospital transport and admission to the PICU for bronchiolitis increased over time. This occurred despite a lower rate of non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilation during transport and in the PICU.

An Approved Landing Site (ALS) improves the logistics of interhospital transfer of critically ill patients by helicopter

The COVID-19 pandemic limited hospital resources and necessitated interhospital transport of ICU-patients in order to provide critical care to all patients in the Netherlands. However, not all hospitals have an approved landing site. The ICU-transport operation was executed under HEMS-license and landing on non-aerodrome terrain was permitted. This allowed the search for an ad-hoc landing site in the direct vicinity of the ICU. The following characteristics were judged: slope, obstacles, size, soil conditions and the presence of foreign objects.Before the start of this transport operation, in two days, all hospitals in the Netherlands were visited and presumed landing sites explored, described, photographed and recorded in the electronic flight bag. At 71 (87,6 %) of the hospitals it was possible to install a temporary approved landing site in the direct vicinity of the ICU. 110 landings were made on these landing sites and 114 landings on approved heliports. Only 11 patients required secondary transport to or from the helicopter landings site. This occurred only in two patients from a heliport to a receiving hospital.The construction of pre-explored approved landing sites in the vicinity of hospitals allows safe transportation of patients by helicopter to hospitals without a heliport.

Transport characteristics and predictors of mortality among neonates referred to a tertiary care centre in North India: a prospective observational study

ObjectiveThe paucity of specialised care in the peripheral areas of developing countries necessitates the referral of sick neonates to higher centres. Organised interhospital transport services provided by a skilled and well-equipped team can significantly improve the outcome. The present study evaluated the transport characteristics and predictors of mortality among neonates referred to a tertiary care centre in North India.DesignProspective observational study.SettingsTertiary care teaching hospital in North India.Patients1013 neonates referred from peripheral health units.Main outcome measuresMortality among referred neonates on admission to our centre.ResultsOf the 1013 enrolled neonates, 83% were transferred through national ambulance services, 13.7% through private hospital ambulances and 3.3% through personal vehicles. Major transfer indications were prematurity (35%), requirement for ventilation (32%), birth asphyxia (28%) and hyperbilirubinaemia (19%). Hypothermia (32.5%, 330 of 1013), shock (19%, 192 of 1013) and requirement for immediate cardiorespiratory support (ICRS) (10.4%, 106 of 1013) on arrival were the major complications observed during transfer. A total of 305 (30.1%, N=1013) deaths occurred. Of these, 52% (n=160) died within 24 hours of arrival. On multivariate logistic analysis, unsupervised pregnancy (<4 antenatal visits; p=0.037), antenatal complications (p<0.001), prematurity ≤30 weeks (p=0.005), shock (p=0.001), hypothermia (p<0.001), requirement for ICRS on arrival (p<0.001), birth asphyxia (p=0.004), travel time >2 hours (p=0.005) and absence of trained staff during transfer (p<0.001) were found to be significant predictors of mortality.ConclusionThe present study depicts high mortality among infants referred to our centre. Adequate training of peripheral health personnel and availability of pre-referral stabilisation and dedicated interhospital transport teams for sick neonate transfers may prove valuable interventions for improved outcomes.

Clinical impact of implementing humidified high-flow nasal cannula on interhospital transport among children admitted to a PICU with respiratory distress: a cohort study

Background There is a limited evidence for humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HHFNC) use on inter-hospital transport. Despite this, its use during transport is increasing in children with respiratory distress worldwide. In 2015 HHFNC was implemented on a specialized pediatric retrieval team serving for Victoria. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the HHFNC implementation on the retrieval team on the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) length of stay and respiratory support use. Methods We performed a cohort study using a comparative interrupted time-series approach controlling for patient and temporal covariates, and population-adjusted analysis. We studied 3022 children admitted to a PICU in Victoria with respiratory distress January 2010–December 2019. Patients were divided in pre-intervention era (2010–2014) and post-intervention era (2015–2019). Results 1006 children following interhospital transport and 2016 non-transport children were included. Median (IQR) age was 1.4 (0.7–4.5) years. Pneumonia (39.1%) and bronchiolitis (34.3%) were common. On retrieval, HHFNC was used in 5.0% (21/420) and 45.9% (269/586) in pre- and post-intervention era. In an unadjusted model, median (IQR) PICU length of stay was 2.2 (1.1–4.2) and 1.7 (0.9–3.2) days in the pre- and post-intervention era in transported children while the figures were 2.4 (1.3–4.9) and 2.1 (1.2–4.5) days in non-transport children. In the multivariable regression model, the intervention was associated with the reduced PICU length of stay (ratio 0.64, 95% confidential interval 0.49–0.83, p = 0.001) with the predicted reduction of PICU length of stay being − 10.6 h (95% confidential interval − 16.9 to − 4.3 h), and decreased respiratory support use (− 25.1 h, 95% confidential interval − 47.9 to − 2.3 h, p = 0.03). Sensitivity analyses including a model excluding less severe children showed similar results. In population-adjusted analyses, respiratory support use decreased from 4837 to 3477 person-hour per year in transported children over the study era, while the reduction was 594 (from 9553 to 8959) person-hour per year in non-transport children. With regard to the safety, there were no escalations of respiratory support mode during interhospital transport. Conclusions The implementation of HHFNC on interhospital transport was associated with the reduced PICU length of stay and respiratory support use among PICU admissions with respiratory distress.