Interhospital transport of pediatric patients requiring emergent care: current status in Turkey.
BACKGROUND
This study was designed to evaluate the current situation of interhospital transport of pediatric patients requiring emergent care.


METHODS
Using a clinical prospective and multicenter design, 1,666 interhospital transports of pediatric patients were evaluated in 18 centers. Non-emergency transports and newborn transports were not included, so 854 transports were eligible for evaluation. Data were collected by means of a comprehensive form filled by a physician at the receiving hospital.


RESULTS
The physicians who gave the decisions for the transports were pediatricians in 60%, general physicians in 15.4%, and residents in 6%, while no identification existed in 159 transports (18.6%). The receiving hospitals were not notified prior to the transport in 79.3%. Pretransport information about the patients were adequate in 26.1% and inadequate in 31.8%; no information was available in 42.1%. Ambulances were used in 64.4% of the transports, of which only 16.2% was fully equipped. Unqualified or inexperienced personnel were in charge in 42.8% of the transports. In 26.3% of the transports, the patients arrived at the receiving hospital in an agonized state.


CONCLUSIONS
It appears that there are no established guidelines for the emergency transport of pediatric children in Turkey.
Department of Pediatrics, Medicine Faculty of Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. ddsoysal@ixir.com
Demet D
DD
Soysal
Metin
M
Karaböcüoğlu
Agop
A
Citak
Raif
R
Uçsel
Tolga
T
Köroğlu
Hayri Levent
HL
Yilmaz
Nesrin
N
Doğruer
Fatma
F
Merter
Adnan
A
Oztürk
Bülent
B
Karapinar
Suat
S
Biçer
Mustafa
M
Bak
Aygen
A
Yilmaz
Ulfet
U
Vatansever
Soyhan
S
Bağci
Nurettin Onur
NO
Kutlu
Metin
M
Aydoğan
Figen
F
Sahin
Pelin
P
Zorlu
Betül
B
Ulukol
Sibel
S
Aşkin
Nedret
N
Uzel
D000293:Adolescent; D000552:Ambulances; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016638:Critical Illness; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010372:Pediatrics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology