Factors associated with clinical complications during intra-hospital transports in a neonatal unit in Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
Analyze factors associated with clinical complications during intra-hospital transport of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients.


METHODS
Prospective study of 641 infants submitted to 1197 intra-hospital transports at a public university NICU. Factors associated with clinical complications during intra-hospital transports were studied by multiple logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Included infants had a mean gestational age of 35.1 ± 3.8 weeks and a birth weight of 2328 ± 906 g. Underline diseases were: malformations (71.9%), infections (7.6%), respiratory distress (4.1%) and others (16.4%). Patients were transported for surgical procedures (22.6%), magnetic resonance (10.6%), tomography imaging (20.9%), contrasted exams (18.2%), ultrasound (10.4%) and others (17.3%). Clinical complications occurred in 327 (27.3%) transports and were associated (odds ratio; 95% CI) with: central nervous system malformations (1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.0); use of supplemental oxygen (4.0; 95% CI 2.8-5.6); mechanical ventilation (5.0; 95% CI 3.5-7.5); transport for surgeries (4.0; 95% CI 1.1-14.0) and duration of the transport longer than 120 min (1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.4).


CONCLUSIONS
Intra-hospital transports are associated with increased risk of clinical complications.
Disciplina de Pediatria Neonatal, Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Anna L P
AL
Vieira
Amélia M N
AM
dos Santos
Mariana K
MK
Okuyama
Milton H
MH
Miyoshi
Maria F B
MF
de Almeida
Ruth
R
Guinsburg
D000367:Age Factors; D001831:Body Temperature; D001938:Brazil; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*