{"@type": "dcat:Dataset", "accessLevel": "public", "bureauCode": ["009:25"], "contactPoint": {"@type": "vcard:Contact", "fn": "NIH", "hasEmail": "mailto:info@nih.gov"}, "description": "Background\n          This review on the current literature of the intrahospital\t\t\t\ttransport of critically ill patients addresses type and incidence of adverse\t\t\t\teffects, risk factors and risk assessment, and the available information on\t\t\t\tefficiency and cost-effectiveness of transferring such patients for diagnostic\t\t\t\tor therapeutic interventions within hospital. Methods and guidelines to prevent\t\t\t\tor reduce potential hazards and complications are provided.\n        \n        \n          Methods\n          A Medline search was performed using the terms 'critical\t\t\t\tillness', 'transport of patients', 'patient\t\t\t\ttransfer', 'critical care', 'monitoring' and\t\t\t\t'intrahospital transport', and all information concerning the\t\t\t\tintrahospital transport of patients was considered.\n        \n        \n          Results\n          Adverse effects may occur in up to 70% of transports. They include\t\t\t\ta change in heart rate, arterial hypotension and hypertension, increased\t\t\t\tintracranial pressure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and a change in respiratory\t\t\t\trate, hypocapnia and hypercapnia, and significant hypoxaemia. No\t\t\t\ttransport-related deaths have been reported. In up to one-third of cases\t\t\t\tmishaps during transport were equipment related. A long-term deterioration of\t\t\t\trespiratory function was observed in 12% of cases. Patient-related risk\t\t\t\tindicators were found to be a high Therapeutic Intervention Severity Score,\t\t\t\tmechanical ventilation, ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure and\t\t\t\thigh injury severity score. Patients' age, duration of transport,\t\t\t\tdestination of transport, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II\t\t\t\tscore, personnel accompanying the patient and other factors were not found to\t\t\t\tcorrelate with an increased rate of complications. Transports for diagnostic\t\t\t\tprocedures resulted in a change in patient management in 40-50% of cases,\t\t\t\tindicating a good risk:benefit ratio.\n        \n        \n          Conclusions\n          To prevent adverse effects of intrahospital transports, guidelines\t\t\t\tconcerning the organization of transports, the personnel, equipment and\t\t\t\tmonitoring should be followed. In particular, the presence of a critical care\t\t\t\tphysician during transport, proper equipment to monitor vital functions and to\t\t\t\ttreat such disturbances immediately, and close control of the patient's\t\t\t\tventilation appear to be of major importance. It appears useful to use\t\t\t\tspecifically constructed carts including standard intensive care unit\t\t\t\tventilators in a selected group of patients. To further reduce the rate of\t\t\t\tinadvertent mishaps resulting from transports, alternative diagnostic\t\t\t\tmodalities or techniques and performing surgical procedures in the intensive\t\t\t\tcare unit should be considered.", "distribution": [{"@type": "dcat:Distribution", "description": "Visit the original government dataset for complete information, documentation, and data access.", "downloadURL": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC137237/", "mediaType": "text/html", "title": "Official Government Data Source"}], "identifier": "https://healthdata.gov/api/views/dhvf-q49i", "issued": "2025-07-14", "keyword": ["adverse-events", "critical-illness", "intrahospital-transport", "nih", "patient-safety"], "landingPage": "https://healthdata.gov/d/dhvf-q49i", "modified": "2025-09-06", "programCode": ["009:033"], "publisher": {"@type": "org:Organization", "name": "National Institutes of Health"}, "theme": ["NIH"], "title": "Equipment review: Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients"}