title: Transporting newborns with transposition of the great arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and management of outborn babies with a post-natally confirmed diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) requiring transport by the Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS), New South Wales during the epoch 1991-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective audit of NETS database and case notes. The physiological status, interventions and any complications encountered from the point of referral to NETS (pre-transport), stabilisation (transport) and subsequent admission to the receiving hospital (post-transport) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred fifty-seven infants with TGA were transported, with an average of eight per year (1:11,598 births). Seven (4%) had an antenatal diagnosis, and 72 (46%) had a post-natal diagnosis prior to referral. Physiological and clinical parameters demonstrated overall clinical stability; however, 47% of the babies had a PaO(2) <30 mmHg, and approximately one-fifth had oxygen saturations <70%. Rates of mechanical ventilation and prostaglandin E(1) administration were approximately 50%. A quarter of transported babies encountered a transport-related event, including one death and two babies for which a decision was reached to forego life-sustaining treatment at the referring hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most newborns with TGA remain stable or improve during transport. There is a rate of adverse events; however, this reinforces the need to facilitate delivery where there is ready access to interventional paediatric cardiology services.
authors.affiliation: Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Westmead), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. patricia.woods@sswahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Browning Carmo
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*