Transport of critically ill patients

Abstract

Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients is often necessary for optimal patient care. The increasing sophistication of nonportable diagnostic tests that aid physicians in diagnosing complex problems require the transport of critically ill patients outside the protective environment of the intensive care unit for prolonged periods. However, transport of intensive care unit patients within the hospital has been associated with a high rate of potentially detrimental complications. Interfacility patient transfers should occur when the benefits to the patient exceed the risks of the transfer. When a patient needs services that exceed the available resources of a facility, the patient should be transferred to a facility with the required resources. The decision to transfer a patient is the responsibility of the attending physician at the referring hospital. In this article, we discussed the role of intrahospital and interhospital transport of the critically ill patient.