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.
Soysal
Demet D
DD
Department of Pediatrics, Medicine Faculty of Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. ddsoysal@ixir.com
Karaböcüoğlu
Metin
M
Citak
Agop
A
Uçsel
Raif
R
Köroğlu
Tolga
T
Yilmaz
Hayri Levent
HL
Doğruer
Nesrin
N
Merter
Fatma
F
Oztürk
Adnan
A
Karapinar
Bülent
B
Biçer
Suat
S
Bak
Mustafa
M
Yilmaz
Aygen
A
Vatansever
Ulfet
U
Bağci
Soyhan
S
Kutlu
Nurettin Onur
NO
Aydoğan
Metin
M
Sahin
Figen
F
Zorlu
Pelin
P
Ulukol
Betül
B
Aşkin
Sibel
S
Uzel
Nedret
N
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