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Clinical Investigations in Critical CareSafe Intrahospital Transport of Critically III Ventilator-dependent Patients
Section snippets
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Twenty mechanically ventilated (MECH) patients were prospectively studied. The only selection criteria were: (1) an indwelling arterial catheter already in place, and (2) the availability of a senior therapist to gather data. Portable ECG monitors were used during transport to monitor rate and rhythm according to our standard protocol. We recorded the nearest arterial blood gas values (ABG) during the 8-h period before transport while mechanically ventilated (MECH-1) ABGs, blood pressure (BP),
RESULTS
The patient population had a mean age of 50 ± 19 years (range, 17 to 81). Nine patients were male, the remaining 11 female. The diagnoses and type of study performed are given in Table 1. Fifty-five percent of the patients went for one of the various CT scans. Mean MECH-2 settings were: (a) vt= .75 ± .17 L, (b) f=16±4 breath/min, (c) ve= 12.6 ±4.3 L/min, and (d) FIo2= .46 ± .2. Eighteen patients were ventilated in the assist/control mode of ventilation and two (patients 4 and 7) in the
DISCUSSION
Transporting critically ill patients within the hospital is a serious endeavor. Measures must be taken to ensure patients' safety and stability. Protocols defining required equipment and personnel are necessary to safely transport critically ill patients.2 Various devices are available to provide or monitor the adequacy of ventilation, including end-tidal CO2 monitors, transcutaneous CO2 and O2 monitors, oximeters, spirometers, and portable ventilators.
Gervais et al3 compared three methods of
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors thank Ms. Debra Kwicinski for secretarial assistance.
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How do i safely transport the critically ill patient?
2019, Evidence-Based Practice of Critical CareA before- and after-intervention trial for reducing unexpected events during the intrahospital transport of emergency patients
2012, American Journal of Emergency MedicineCitation Excerpt :For 56 multiple trauma victims and 83 surgical or traumatic patients transported to radiology units, the proportion of UEs was very high, 68% [15] and 66% [16], respectively. Other studies showed UE rates as low as 10% during the transport of 20 medical and surgical ICU patients [17] or 5.9% during the transport of 175 surgical patients [18]. These discrepancies might have occurred because of the population being studied or the small sample size.
How Do I Transport the Critically Ill Patient?
2010, Evidence-Based Practice of Critical Care: Expert Consult: Online and PrintHow Do I Transport the Critically Ill Patient?
2010, Evidence-Based Practice of Critical CareIntrahospital Transport of the Ventilator-Supported Patient
2008, Mechanical Ventilation: Clinical Applications and Pathophysiology
Manuscript received May 10; accepted May 18.