Intensive care of children who require interhospital transport (a clinical guideline draft)

The article presents a draft of clinical guidelines for intensive care of children, who require interhospital transport; it was elaborated with consideration of territorial characteristics of the Russian Federation. Legal aspects of organization of interhospital transport service and possible side effects of transportation are considered in detail. General description and the main advantages and disadvantages of the air transport and ground ambulance transport are presented. A system for transport risk assessment is proposed, based on ranks that correspond to the duration of safe transport time. Original scales to assess the transportation risk based on the necessity of emergency rehydration, inotropic, vasopressor and respiratory support are presented. Special attention is focused on the preparation of critically ill children to interhospital transport, with detailed protocol for intensive care, monitoring and caring activities while transporting. The goal parameters for patient stabilization in the next six hours after transport are described. The use of proposed key principles of safe transport would significantly improve the quality of medical care for children, who require transportation to specialized units