Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients.
Severe complications sometimes occur in critically ill patients during intrahospital transport. Possible causes may be inadequate ventilation, insufficient monitoring, interrupted application of vasoactive drugs, or disconnections and accidental extubation. We constructed a transport unit equipped with a respirator; capnometer; monitor to measure ECG, arterial and intracranial pressures, and temperature; and two syringe pumps that can be connected easily to the patient's bed. Gas is supplied by cylinders with oxygen and air. Electrical power is supplied by two accumulators connected to recharger and transformer devices that deliver 220 V (110 V). Since this transfer unit was introduced, we have had no unanticipated problems during intrahospital ICU patient transport.
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Klinik für Anaesthesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Klinikum Steglitz, Freie Universität Berlin, FRG.
Krause
H
H
Wagner
W
W
Papadopoulos
G
G
D003422:Critical Care; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods*