Principles of safe inter-hospital transfer of critically unwell adults.

The purpose of this article is to explore the key themes and safety considerations connected to the inter-hospital transfer of critically unwell adults. First, the evidence base surrounding the subject is critically explored and clinical guidelines and national policy are discussed. Second, safety considerations are explored that highlight the risks and challenges associated with the inter-hospital transfer of critically unwell people.

Collaboration, coordination and communication as facilitators of transitions for patients with advanced cancer: a scoping review linked to the Pal-Cycles project.

BACKGROUND: Person-centred care is becoming increasingly recognised as an important element of palliative care. The current review syntheses evidence in relation to transitions in advanced cancer patients with palliative care needs. The review focuses on specific elements which will inform the Pal-Cycles programme, for patients with advanced cancer transitioning from hospital care to community care. Elements of transitional models for cancer patients may include, identification of palliative care needs, compassionate communication with the patient and family members, collaborative effort to establish a multi-dimensional treatment plan, review and evaluation of the treatment plan and identification of the end of life phase. METHODS: A scoping review of four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO) was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies published from January 2013 to October, 2022. A further hand-search of references to locate additional relevant studies was also undertaken. Inclusion criteria involved cancer patients transitions of care with a minimum of two of components from those listed above. Studies were excluded if they were literature reviews, if transition of care was related to cancer survivors, involved non-cancer patients, had paediatric population, if the transition implied a change of therapy and or a lack of physical transit to a non-hospital place of care. This review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework and narrative synthesis was used. RESULTS: Out of 5695 records found, 14 records were selected. Transition models identified: increases in palliative care consultations, hospice referrals, reduction in readmission rates and the ability to provide end of life care at home. Transition models highlight emotional and spiritual support for patients and families. No uniform model of transition was apparent, this depends on the healthcare system where it is implemented. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance of collaboration, coordination and communication as central mechanisms for transitional model for patients with advanced cancer. This may require careful planning and will need to be tailored to the contexts of each healthcare system.

Efficacy of a Standardized Process in Optimizing Appropriate Use of Progressive Care Unit Beds in a Tertiary Care Facility.

BACKGROUND: Poor patient progression from the progressive care unit (PCU) beds has been recognized as a bottleneck, limiting the hospital's ability to optimize capacity for the sickest patients. Improving nurse management on PCU admission and discharge criteria could avoid PCU bottlenecks. LOCAL PROBLEM: Our institution lacked a standard process to identify clinically appropriate patients ready for transfer out of the PCU, causing delays in vacating PCU beds. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if creating a standard process to empower bedside nurses and unit nursing leaders to push readiness information to the provider team improves the appropriateness of PCU stay and transfers patients out of the PCU earlier. METHODS: The most common causes of delayed transfer out of the PCU were discussed among stakeholders. A process was designed to empower the bedside nurses to partner with a physician leader to send information to the provider team requesting evaluation of the patient's readiness to leave the unit. The improvement of meeting the criteria for PCU was evaluated by comparing 60 patients prior to the intervention phase with 139 patients during the intervention. RESULTS: The primary outcome, percentage of patients meeting PCU criteria, was 53% during the audit phase and 68% during the intervention phase (P = .05). The PCU transfer time was pushed 1 hour earlier in the day. CONCLUSIONS: The standard process of empowering bedside nurses to partner with physician leaders to push readiness for transferring patients out of the PCU resulted in a significant improvement in the percentage of patients meeting PCU criteria and earlier discharge of appropriate patients.

Development and psychometric testing of a scale to measure effective rural emergency transfer (RET).

BACKGROUND: The process of transferring patients from small rural primary care facilities to referral facilities impacts the quality of care and effectiveness of the referral healthcare system. The study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a scale measuring requirements for effective rural emergency transfer. METHODS: An exploratory sequential design was utilized to develop a scale designed to measure requirements for effective emergency transport. Phase one included a qualitative, interview study with 26 nursing transport providers. These transcripts were coded, and items developed for the proposed scale. Phase two included a content validity review by these 16 transport providers of the domains and items developed. Phase three included development and evaluation of psychometric properties of a scale designed to measure requirements for effective emergency transport. This scale was then tested initially with 84 items and later reduced to a final set of 58 items after completion by 302 transport nurses. The final scale demonstrated three factors (technology & tools; knowledge & skills; and organization). Each factor and the total score reported excellent scale reliability. RESULTS: The initial item pool consisted of 84 items, generated, and synthesized from an extensive literature review and the qualitative descriptive study exploring nurses' experiences in rural emergency patient transportation. A two-round modified Delphi method with experts generated a scale consisting of 58 items. A cross-sectional study design was used with 302 nurses in rural clinics and health in four rural health districts. A categorical principal components analysis identified three components explaining 63.35% of the total variance. The three factors, technology, tools, personal knowledge and skills, and organization, accounted for 27.32%, 18.15 and 17.88% of the total variance, respectively. The reliability of the three factors, as determined by the Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA)'s default calculation of the Cronbach Alpha, was 0.960, 0.946, and 0.956, respectively. The RET Cronbach alpha was 0.980. CONCLUSIONS: The study offers a three-factor scale to measure the effectiveness of emergency patient transport in rural facilities to better understand and improve care during emergency patient transport.

Transition of Intensive Care Unit Patients and Their Families to Home After Acute Hospital Care.

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) increasingly are expected to eventually return home after acute hospital care. Yet transitional care for ICU patients and their families is often delayed until the patient is about to be transferred to another location or level of care. Transitions theory is a middle-range nursing theory that aims to provide guidance for safe and effective nursing care and research while an individual experiences a transition. Intensive care unit nurses are well positioned to provide ICU transitional care planning early. This article applies the transitions theory as a theoretical model to guide the study of the transition to home after acute hospital care for ICU patients and their families. This theory application can help ICU nurses provide holistic patient- and family-centered transitional care to achieve optimal outcomes by addressing the predischarge and postdischarge needs of patients and families.

Use of computer simulation to identify effects on hospital census with reduction of transfers for non-procedural patients in community hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: In-person healthcare delivery is rapidly changing with a shifting employment landscape and technological advances. Opportunities to care for patients in more efficient ways include leveraging technology and focusing on caring for patients in the right place at the right time. We aim to use computer modelling to understand the impact of interventions, such as virtual consultation, on hospital census for referring and referral centres if non-procedural patients are cared for locally rather than transferred. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We created computer modelling based on 25 138 hospital transfers between June 2019 and June 2022 with patients originating at one of 17 community-based hospitals and a regional or academic referral centre receiving them. We identified patients that likely could have been cared for at a community facility, with attention to hospital internal medicine and cardiology patients. The model was run for 33 500 days. RESULTS: Approximately 121 beds/day were occupied by transferred patients at the academic centre, and on average, approximately 17 beds/day were used for hospital internal medicine and nine beds/day for non-procedural cardiology patients. Typical census for all internal medicine beds is approximately 175 and for cardiology is approximately 70. CONCLUSION: Deferring transfers for patients in favour of local hospitalisation would increase the availability of beds for complex care at the referral centre. Potential downstream effects also include increased patient satisfaction due to proximity to home and viability of the local hospital system/economy, and decreased resource utilisation for transfer systems.

Improving First Case Operating Room Efficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Improving transition to the operating room (OR) can enhance healthcare efficiency. Our aim was to determine whether adopting a communication board (CB) for first case surgical patients reduced delays to OR. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted from April to October 2021. We calculated differences in surgical daycare (SDC) departure time before and after implementation of the CB, differences in departure whether the CB was used or not, delay in variability between surgical specialties, and overall adoption of the CB. RESULTS: After CB adoption, 13% of first cases left SDC by predefined target times. The mean delay in transfer was 18:51 minutes. When the CB was used, cases were on average 10:43 late, compared with 26:00 when it was not used. Otolaryngology had the shortest delays while plastic surgery had the longest. Reasons for delays included staffing delays, holds, and pending laboratory results. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing a CB significantly reduced delays in transferring first case surgical patients from SDC to the OR.

Interdisciplinary videoconference model for identifying potential adverse transition of care events following hospital discharge to postacute care.

Discharge from hospitals to postacute care settings is a vulnerable time for many older adults, when they may be at increased risk for errors occurring in their care. We developed the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes-Care Transitions (ECHO-CT) programme in an effort to mitigate these risks through a mulitdisciplinary, educational, case-based teleconference between hospital and skilled nursing facility providers. The programme was implemented in both academic and community hospitals. Through weekly sessions, patients discharged from the hospital were discussed, clinical concerns addressed, errors in care identified and plans were made for remediation. A total of 1432 discussions occurred for 1326 patients. The aim of this study was to identify errors occurring in the postdischarge period and factors that predict an increased risk of experiencing an error. In 435 discussions, an issue was identified that required further discussion (known as a transition of care event), and the majority of these were related to medications. In 14.7% of all discussions, a medical error, defined as 'any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medical care or patient harm', was identified. We found that errors were more likely to occur for patients discharged from surgical services or the emergency department (as compared with medical services) and were less likely to occur for patients who were discharged in the morning. This study shows that a number of errors may be detected in the postdischarge period, and the ECHO-CT programme provides a mechanism for identifying and mitigating these events. Furthermore, it suggests that discharging service and time of day may be associated with risk of error in the discharge period, thereby suggesting potential areas of focus for future interventions.

Strategies to Improve Emergency Transitions From Long-Term Care Facilities: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Older adults residing in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) often experience substandard transitions to emergency departments (EDs) through rationed and delayed ED care. We aimed to identify research describing interventions to improve transitions from RACFs to EDs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In our scoping review, we included English language articles that (a) examined an intervention to improve transitions from RACF to EDs; and (b) focused on older adults (≥65 years). We employed content analysis. Dy et al.'s Care Transitions Framework was used to assess the contextualization of interventions and measurement of implementation success. RESULTS: Interventions in 28 studies included geriatric assessment or outreach services (n = 7), standardized documentation forms (n = 6), models of care to improve transitions from RACFs to EDs (n = 6), telehealth services (n = 3), nurse-led care coordination programs (n = 2), acute-care geriatric departments (n = 2), an extended paramedicine program (n = 1), and a web-based referral system (n = 1). Many studies (n = 17) did not define what "improvement" entailed and instead assessed documentation strategies and distal outcomes (e.g., hospital admission rates, length of stay). Few authors reported how they contextualized interventions to align with care environments and/or evaluated implementation success. Few studies included clinician perspectives and no study examined resident- or family/friend caregiver-reported outcomes. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Mixed or nonsignificant results prevent us from recommending (or discouraging) any interventions. Given the complexity of these transitions and the need to create sustainable improvement strategies, future research should describe strategies used to embed innovations in care contexts and to measure both implementation and intervention success.

Parents' experience of children's transitions from intensive care unit after liver transplantation: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand parents' perspectives on caring for children who underwent liver transplantation in the intensive care unit transition period and to provide a reference for the development of targeted intervention strategies. METHODS: Thirteen parents of children who underwent liver transplantation at a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province were chosen for in-depth semi-structured interviews via purposive sampling. The interview data were analyzed and summarized via content analysis. FINDINGS: Three themes were extracted, including a period of separation and suffering (being apart from child is tough, chilling atmosphere, and limited family access); being an overwhelming caregiver (hope coupled with worry, conflict of roles, and existential care dilemmas); and facing a new normal: searching for information and support (information on medical conditions, post-discharge care assistance, educational support, and peer support). CONCLUSION: For parents whose child underwent liver transplantation, the transition period from the intensive care unit to the general ward is challenging. Parents are burdened with several caregiving responsibilities and require a variety of information and support. It is advised that nurses should offer sufficient information and suitable educational approaches to enhance these parents' capacity to care for their children and assist children and their parents in making a smooth transition. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study highlights parents' perspectives on caring for children with liver transplants transferred from the intensive care unit to a general ward. Transitional care is strenuous, evoking different feelings before and after transfer. The health care professionals should focus on the needs and challenges faced by parents who are caring for children with liver transplants during the intensive care unit transition period. To achieve this, it is critical to establish a supportive environment and provide suitable information and education for parents to enhance their caregiving abilities.

Supporting rural families during interhospital patient transfers for critical illness events: An exploration of an acceptable communication process.

Critically ill patients in rural areas at times require an interhospital transfer from their local hospital to an urban tertiary care centre for advanced critical care services not available locally. Family members have described this transfer window as a communication blackout and one of the most stressful times of their relative's critical illness event. OBJECTIVE: To explore what communication process would be most acceptable between family members and transfer team members (consisting of critical care nurses, paramedics, and physicians) during interhospital transfers of critically ill patients. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Using a qualitative descriptive approach of critical thematic analysis, data were collected in September and November 2022, from focus groups of five family members and four transfer team members who experienced this phenomenon. SETTING: Rural Canada where speciality services such as interventional cardiology and neurosurgery are unavailable, and a tertiary care hospital is more than 160 km away. FINDINGS: Within themes of unequal power relations and status-based hierarchies, family members described how communication during interhospital transfers supports connection and coping, challenges experienced in accessing information, an overwhelming unknown, and practical challenges of the transfer. Transfer team members described a context of power relations and status-based hierarchies in which themes of transfer team burden, role confusion or connection, protection and management of family members, and complexities of information sharing during interhospital transfers were identified. CONCLUSION: In critical illness, communication linkages are created between healthcare providers and family members but are broken during an interhospital transfer resulting in increased stress for family members. Acceptable communication elements described by transfer team members and family members may maintain these linkages during the transfer window. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: These findings provide the foundation for critical care nurses and their professional colleagues to take family care to the next level with an explicit communication strategy during interhospital transfers.

Supporting equitable care of patients transferred from police watch-houses to the emergency department: A qualitative study of the perspectives of emergency doctors.

OBJECTIVE: People detained in short-term police custody often have complex health conditions that may necessitate emergency care, yet little is known about their management in EDs. The present study aimed to understand ED doctors' experiences and perceptions regarding the appropriateness and management of detainee transfers from police watch-houses to the EDs. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study, using semi-structured interviews undertaken with ED doctors working in five purposively sampled EDs across Queensland, Australia. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen ED specialists and trainees participated. Participants reported that their overarching approach was to provide equitable care for watch-house detainees, as they would for any patient. This equitable approach needed to be responsive to complicating factors common to this population, including presence of police guards; restraints; complexity (physical/mental/social) of presentation; reliance on police to transport; ED doctors' often limited understanding of the watch-house environment; justice processes and uncertain legal disposition; communication with the watch-house; and detainees misreporting symptoms. Thresholds for assessment and treatment of detainees were contextualised to the needs of the patient, ED environment, and imperatives of other relevant agencies (e.g. police). Participants often relied on existing strategies to deliver quality care despite challenges, but also identified a need for additional strategies, including education for ED staff; improved communication with watch-houses; standardised paperwork; extended models of watch-house healthcare; and integrated medical records. CONCLUSIONS: Providing equitable healthcare to patients transported from watch-houses to the EDs is challenging but essential. Numerous opportunities exist to enhance the delivery of optimal care for this underserved population.

Navigating Transitions in Oncology Care: From Emergency Department to Outpatient Clinic.

OBJECTIVE: This quality improvement project was a collaborative effort with Penn Medicine's emergency department (ED) and oncology nurse navigators (ONNs). The goal of the project was to streamline patient transitions from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic by developing a standardized referral process. The main objectives were to simplify and automate the referral process using the electronic medical record, improve multidisciplinary communication across the care continuum, ensure timely follow-up, and address barriers to oncology care. METHODS: The ED providers placed a consult to ONNs. The ONNs reached out to the patient within 48 hours of the consult. They maintained a database of patient referrals and collected information such as patient demographics, reason for referral, insurance, and patient outcomes. RESULTS: The ED providers referred 204 patients to the ONNs from April 2022 to September 2023. The development of a standardized referral process from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic proved successful. Of the patients referred, the ONNs facilitated 98 cancer diagnoses and 80 of those patients are receiving oncology care at Penn Medicine. The median time to the patient's first appointments was seven days, diagnosis was 15 days, and treatment initiation occurred within 32 days. CONCLUSION: The project team achieved their goal of facilitating timely access to oncology care, ensuring continuity, and addressing patient-specific barriers. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This quality improvement initiative highlights the ONNs' role in enhancing access and equity in cancer care delivery. The success of the project underscores the ONN's expertise and leadership in addressing healthcare disparities in oncology care. Collaboratively, the teams created a new referral workflow improving care transitions from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic. The project sets a precedent for optimizing patient care transitions, demonstrating the positive impact of ONNs as key members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Development and Evaluation of I-PASS-to-PICU: A Standard Electronic Template to Improve Referral Communication for Interfacility Transfers to the Pediatric ICU.

BACKGROUND: Miscommunication during interfacility handoffs to a higher level of care can harm critically ill children. Adapting evidence-based handoff interventions to interfacility referral communication may prevent adverse events. The objective of this project was to develop and evaluate a standard electronic referral template (I-PASS-to-PICU) to improve communication for interfacility pediatric ICU (PICU) transfers. METHODS: I-PASS-to-PICU was iteratively developed in a single PICU. A core PICU stakeholder group collaboratively designed an electronic health record (EHR)-supported clinical note template by adapting elements from I-PASS, an evidence-based handoff program, to support information exchange between referring clinicians and receiving PICU physicians. I-PASS-to-PICU is a receiver-driven tool used by PICU physicians to guide verbal communication and electronic documentation during PICU transfer calls. The template underwent three cycles of iterative evaluation and redesign informed by individual and group interviews of multidisciplinary PICU staff, usability testing using simulated and actual referral calls, and debriefing with PICU physicians. RESULTS: Individual and group interviews with 21 PICU staff members revealed that relevant, accurate, and concise information was needed for adequate admission preparedness. Time constraints and secondhand information transmission were identified as barriers. Usability testing with six receiving PICU physicians using simulated and actual calls revealed good usability on the validated System Usability Scale (SUS), with a mean score of 77.5 (standard deviation 10.9). Fellows indicated that most fields were relevant and that the template was feasible to use. CONCLUSION: I-PASS-to-PICU was technically feasible, usable, and relevant. The authors plan to further evaluate its effectiveness in improving information exchange during real-time PICU practice.

Handoffs and transitions of care: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

BACKGROUND: The Joint Commission reports that at least half of communication breakdowns occur during handovers or transitions of care. There is no consensus on how best to approach the transfer of care within acute care surgery (ACS). We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current data on handoffs and transitions of care in ACS patients and evaluate the impact of standardization and formalized communication processes. METHODS: Clinically relevant questions regarding handoffs and transitions of care with clearly defined patient Population(s), Intervention(s), Comparison(s), and appropriately selected Outcomes were determined. These centered around specific transitions of care within the setting of ACS, specifically perioperative interactions, emergency medical services and trauma team interactions, and intra/interfloor and intensive care unit (ICU) interactions. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were conducted using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were identified for analysis. These included 5,113 patients in the standardized handoff group and 5,293 in the current process group. Standardized handoffs reduced handover errors for perioperative interactions and preventable adverse events for intra/interfloor and ICU interactions. There were insufficient data to evaluate outcomes of clinical complications and medical errors. CONCLUSION: We conditionally recommend a standardized handoff in the field of ACS, including perioperative interactions, emergency medical services and trauma team interactions, and intra/interfloor and ICU interactions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic Review/Meta-analysis; Level III.

Asistencia del recién nacido con hernia diafragmática congénita / Care of newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia / Cuidados ao recém-nascido com hérnia diafragmática congênita

La hernia diafragmática congénita es un defecto en el diafragma que lleva a la herniación del contenido abdominal a la cavidad torácica durante el período intrauterino. La morbimortalidad está determinada por la asociación con otras malformaciones, el grado de hipoplasia pulmonar y la presencia de hipertensión pulmonar secundaria. Presenta una incidencia estimada de 1 cada 2.500-3.000 recién nacidos vivos, constituyendo en un 60% una malformación aislada. Es una patología evolutiva que puede ser diagnosticada a partir de la semana 20-24, la ubicación más habitual es la posterolateral izquierda. Se trata de una patología que requiere ingreso a cuidados intensivos al nacimiento y luego de lograda la estabilización del paciente es de sanción quirúrgica. Los objetivos de este trabajo son conocer las características generales de la patología para sistematizar el manejo logrando así un óptimo asesoramiento de los padres a nivel prenatal y seguimiento postnatal del recién nacido.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a defect in the diaphragm that leads to herniation of theabdominal contents of the thoracic cavity during the intrauterine period. Morbidity and mortality are determined by the association with other malformations, the degree ofpulmonary hypoplasia and the presence of secondary pulmonary hypertension.It has an estimated incidence of 1 every 2,500-3,000 live newborns, and in 60% of the cases it is an isolated malformation. It is an evolutionary pathology that can be diagnosed from week 20-24; it is most commonly located in the left posterolateral. It is a pathology that requires intensive care at birth and after delivery and once the patient has been stabilized, surgical action is required. The objectives of this work are to understand the general characteristics of the pathology in order to refine its manipulation and achieve optimal counseling for parents at the newborn's prenatal and postnatal stages.

A hérnia diafragmática congênita é um defeito no diafragma que leva à herniação doconteúdo abdominal para a cavidade torácica durante o período intrauterino. A morbimortalidade é determinada pela associação com outras malformações, pelo grau de hipoplasia pulmonar e pela presença de hipertensão pulmonar secundária. Apresenta uma incidência estimada de 1 a cada 2.500-3.000 nascidos vivos, constituindo-se em 60% uma malformação isolada. É uma patologia evolutiva que pode ser diagnosticada a partir da semana 20-24 e a localização mais comum é o póstero-lateral esquerdo. É uma patologia que requer internação em terapia intensiva ao nascimento e após o parto. Uma vez que o paciente for estabilizado, é necessária ação cirúrgica. Os objetivos deste paper são conhecer as características gerais da patologia para melhorar o seu manejo, obtendo assim um aconselhamento ideal para os pais no nível pré-natal e no acompanhamento do crescimento pós-natal do recém-nascido.

Incidentes relacionados con la seguridad del paciente crítico durante los traslados intrahospitalarios / Incidents related to critical patients afety during in hospital transfer

Objective: To analyze the incidents related to patient safety (IRSP) and their risk factors during in-hospital transfer (IHT) of critical patients after the application of a protocol, and to evaluate safety during transfer using quality indicators.DesignA prospective, observational and non-intervention cohort study was carried out.SettingA 10-bed multipurpose Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a second level university hospital.PatientsAll IHTs of critical patients in the ICU for diagnostic tests and to the operating room between March 2011 and March 2017 were included in the study.Main measurementsDemographic variables, patient severity, transfer priority, moment of the day, reason and type of transfer team. Pre-transport checklist items and IRSP were collected. A biannual analysis was made of quality indicators designed for IHT.ResultsA total of 805 transfers were registered, mostly of an urgent nature (53.7%) and for diagnostic tests (77%). In turn, 112 transfers (13.9%) presented some type of IRSP; 54% related to the equipment and 30% related to team and organization. Adverse events occurred in 19 (2.4%) transfers. Risk factors identified in the multivariate analysis were mechanical ventilation and the transport team. The evolution of the indicators related to transport was significantly favorable.ConclusionsAfter the application of an IHT protocol, IRSP are low. The main risk factor is invasive mechanical ventilation. The experience of the team performing IHT influences the detection of a greater number of incidents (AU)

Objetivo: Analizar los incidentes relacionados con la seguridad del paciente (IRSP) durante los traslados intrahospitalarios (TIH) del paciente crítico tras la aplicación de un protocolo, así como sus factores de riesgo. Evaluar la seguridad durante los traslados mediante indicadores de calidad.DiseñoEstudio de cohorte, prospectivo, observacional y no intervencionista.ÁmbitoUnidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) polivalente de 10 camas de un hospital universitario de segundo nivel.PacientesSe incluyen todos los TIH de pacientes críticos realizados de UCI a pruebas diagnósticas y a quirófano entre marzo de 2011 y marzo de 2017.Principales variables del estudioVariables demográficas, gravedad de los pacientes, prioridad del traslado, momento del día, motivo y tipo de equipo del traslado. Se recogen comprobaciones pre-traslado e IRSP. Análisis semestral de indicadores de calidad diseñados para el TIH.ResultadosDe los 805 traslados registrados, la mayoría urgentes (53,7%) y para pruebas diagnósticas (77%), 112 traslados (13,9%) presentaron algún tipo de IRSP, 54% relacionado con el equipamiento y 30% con el equipo y la organización. En 19 (2,4%) traslados se produjeron eventos adversos. En el análisis multivariante los factores de riesgo fueron la ventilación mecánica y el equipo que realiza el traslado. La evolución de los indicadores relacionados con los traslados es significativamente favorable.ConclusionesTras la aplicación de un protocolo de TIH, los IRSP son bajos y el principal factor de riesgo es la ventilación mecánica invasiva. La experiencia del equipo que realiza el TIH influye en la detección de un mayor número de incidentes (AU)

Taquicardia paroxística supraventricular desde la perspectiva del transporte interhospitalario / Supraventricular tachycardia in children from the perspective of a specialised between-hospital transport team

OBJETIVO: Determinar la frecuencia de taquicardia paroxística supraventricular (TPSV) como motivo de traslado interhospitalario en la edad pediátrica, describir la forma de presentación clínica, evolución y tratamiento, y factores de riesgo de presentar compromiso hemodinámico y proponer un protocolo de manejo específico para el transporte. MÉTODO: Estudio retrospectivo observacional de los pacientes atendidos en el Sistema de Emergencias Médicas Pediátricas (SEM-P) del Hospital Vall d'Hebron entre enero 2005 y junio 2017. RESULTADOS: De un total de 7.348 traslados, 67 fueron pacientes con TPSV (0,9%). Edad mediana de 57 días de vida (2h a 18 años). Catorce pacientes (20,9%), presentaban signos de compromiso hemodinámico en el momento del diagnóstico. La edad ≤1 año fue el único factor de riesgo independiente para presentar compromiso hemodinámico al diagnóstico con un OR de 10,2 (IC 95%: 1,2-89,9; p: 0,004). La mayoría de pacientes revirtieron con las intervenciones del hospital emisor, exceptuando la intubación y la cardioversión eléctrica, realizadas más frecuentemente por el equipo de trasporte (ET). El tiempo mediano de estabilización fue de 35min (9-169), con un tiempo mediano de traslado de 30min (9-165). CONCLUSIONES: El transporte de pacientes pediátricos con TPSV es poco frecuente, pero puede requerir un manejo altamente especializado. La edad ≤1 año es el único factor de riesgo independiente para presentar compromiso hemodinámico. La coordinación entre el equipo del hospital emisor y el ET es de gran importancia para un buen resultado asistencial

AIMS: The aim of this study is to establish the incidence of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) as a main reason for between-hospital transfer in children, as well as to describe the clinical presentation, prognosis and treatment, risk factors presenting with haemodynamic compromise, and to propose a specific management protocol for the transport. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted on all patients with supraventricular tachycardia transferred by the Hospital Vall d'Hebron Sistema de Emergencias Médicas Pediátricas (SEM-P) between January 2005 and June 2017. RESULTS: During the study period, 67 (0.9%) patients (out of a total number of 7348 transfers) suffered from SVT. The median age was 57 days (2 hours-18 years old). There was clinical evidence of cardiogenic shock on admission in 14 (20.9%) patients. Age ≤ 1 year was the only independent risk factor associated with presenting with cardiogenic shock on admission, with an OR of 10.2 (95% CI: 1.2-89.9; P=.004). The majority of patients could be treated appropriately by the local hospital team, except for oral intubation and cardioversion that were performed mainly by the transport team on arrival at the local hospital. Median stabilisation time was 35minutes (9-169), and median total transport time was 30minutes (9-165). CONCLUSIONS: Only 0.9% of transport cases are due to SVT, but this can be highly demanding as patients can be critically ill. Age ≤ 1 year was the only independent risk factor associated with presenting with cardiogenic shock on admission. Coordination between the local and the transport teams is crucial for a good clinical outcome