title: Patient Care Bridge--mobile ICU for transit care of the critically ill.
abstract: We describe the development and introduction of a Patient Care Bridge--a mobile ICU for the transit care of the critically ill. This stretcher-mounted Patient Care Bridge is being used for intensive transit care of the critically ill in Northland, New Zealand. It carries all the basic intensive care monitoring accoutrements, is lightweight and is suited for pre-hospital, inter-hospital and intra-hospital transit care. It is ideal for patient evacuation from the scene of motor vehicle and sporting accidents, surface transportation of patients by surface ambulance and aeroevacuation of patients by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. This economic and space efficient unit has been used for transfer of more than one thousand critically ill patients.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand. nagappan@primus.com.au
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagappan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Riddell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Maiden
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindsay
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances; D000552:Ambulances; D003422:Critical Care; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical