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Critical Care
Published in: Critical Care 4/2005

01-08-2005 | Commentary

Critical care transfers – a danger foreseen is half avoided

Author: Philip Haji-Michael

Published in: Critical Care | Issue 4/2005

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Abstract

How good is the care patients receive during interhospital transfer? The results of a study in this journal make for some disturbing reading. Adverse events occur in about one-third of cases. Half the time this can be related to not following advice from the receiving centre. Of these events, 70% are, in the author's opinion, avoidable and 30% are related to technical problems. So how do we make things better? All transfer equipment needs to be standardized and be "fit-for-purpose". Each hospital needs to take responsibility for the quality of care received in transfer, and this should include guidelines, training and equipment.
Literature
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Bellingan G, Olivier T, Batson S, Webb A: Comparison of a specialist retrieval team with current United Kingdom practice for the transport of critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med 2000, 26: 740-744. 10.1007/s001340051127CrossRefPubMed
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Metadata
Title
Critical care transfers – a danger foreseen is half avoided
Author
Philip Haji-Michael
Publication date
01-08-2005
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Critical Care / Issue 4/2005
Electronic ISSN: 1364-8535
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/cc3773

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