RAISING THE BAR 1 Neonatal Transport Team Performance: Raising the Bar

Current best medical practice recommends high-risk infants be delivered in perinatal centers with intensive care nurseries and neonatal specialists available to provide immediate resuscitation and stabilization. Unfortunately, many high-risk infants are not delivered in perinatal centers because maternal factors restrict ability to transport. In addition, neonatal problems are not always diagnosed before birth. Therefore, the need exists for specialized neonatal transport teams to quickly mobilize to the referring hospital, equipped with necessary supplies and equipment, in order to stabilize and care for the critically ill neonate. Description of the Problem Neonatal transport teams combine the complexities associated with stabilization and management of a sick neonate with the dangers inherently associated with moving any patient from one location to another. Transport team members are expected to provide state-of-the art neonatal care in an ever-changing, challenging environment. Changes in environmental temperatures and excess noise and vibration, combined with the extremely limited workspace inside of a medical helicopter, an ambulance, or fixed-wing aircraft, can interfere with the transport team’s ability to adequately assess the neonatal patient and intervene appropriately