Transporte en Asturias: pacientes, patologías y recursos de traslado / Transportation in Asturias: patients, disease and transfer resources

RESUMEN

Introducción: Las necesidades de transporte sanitario varían en cada región. En Asturias nunca se ha realizado un estudio sobre transporte. Objetivos: Descubrir las características de los traslados en Asturias. Pacientes y métodos; Estudio descriptivo prospectivo de todos los transportes secundarios realizados en Asturias entre julio de 2003 y junio de 2004. Resultados: Se registraron 798 indicaciones de traslado (89,9% urgentes). La edad media era 61,4 meses. El 74,7 % se trasladaron desde Urgencias. El motivo más frecuente fue la consulta a Cirugía Infantil (35,0%). En los hospitales de destino un 14,9% fueron ingresados en unidades de cuidados intensivos. Un 28,6% fueron dados de alta desde Urgencias. La patología más frecuente fue la quirúrgica (36,4%). Se trasladaron 266 pacientes en ambulancia convencional, 113 en UVI móvil (UVIm), uno en helicóptero y el resto en vehículo privado o desconocido. A menor edad, mayor era el porcentaje de transportes en UVIm y menor en vehículo propio (p<0,001). De los 380 traslados realizados en vehículo sanitario, un 70% llevaban personal sanitario, un 30% con médico. Conclusiones: Los traslados secundarios fueron frecuentes en Asturias. La patología más frecuente fue la quirúrgica. Un importante porcentaje no precisaron ingreso. La mayoría se trasladaron en vehículos particulares. Casi un tercio de los transportes en vehículo sanitario fueron realizados por médicos. Los pacientes derivados para UCI supusieron un importante porcentaje (AU)

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Medical transportation need vary depending on the local characteristics. There are no previous studies on paediatric transportation in Asturias in a one-year period. Patients and methods: Prospective study of all the interhospital transports performed in a one-year period (july 2003 to june 2004) in Asturias. Results: Seven hundred and ninety eight transports were recorded (89,9% were considered urgent). Mean age of the patients was 61.4 months. Transfer was indicated when the patient was at the Emergency Department in 74,7%. The most frequent reason for the transfer was consulation with a paediatric surgeon (35%). Fourteen percent of the patients were admitted to an Intensive Care Unit upon arrival at the receiving hospital. Twentyeight percent of the patients were discharged after the transfer. Surgical conditions were the most frequent diagnosis in the children transferred. The transport was performed by conventional ambulance in 266 cases, by Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) in 113, by helicopter in one case and by private or not recorded vehicle in the remaining. The younger the age, the greater the likelihood of MICU transport and the lower the likelihood of being transported by means of a private vehicle (p<0.001). Among the 380 transfers using a medical vehicle, health staff was present in 70%. A physician was present in 30% of the transfers done by ambulance. Conclusions: Paediatric transports are frequent in Asturias. Surgical conditions were the most frequent reason for the transfer. A significant number of the transferred patients did not need to be admitted to the receiving hospital. Most patients were transported by means of a private vehicle. Physicians were part of the transport team in almost one third of the cases in which a medical vehicle was used. Patients referred to an intensive care unit account for an important number of the transportations performed (AU)