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CS90
Intra-Hospital Transport Of Critical Care Patients
By M. Roberts, K. Harris; Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins, CO
For further information, please contact: mgr@pvhs.org
Purpose: To define the standard of care, emphasizing patient safety, for intra-hospital transport of all critical care patients to include Emergency Department and Operating Room patients.
Description: Organizationally there was inconsistency in monitoring critical care patients between the Emergency Department (ED), Operating Room (OR) and the Critical Care Units. In 2004, the SCCM published specific guidelines delineating monitoring, equipment, and personnel requirements for safe transport of critically ill patients. This issue was addressed at the hospital Critical Care Committee, a multidisciplinary team. After much discussion the committee determined the SCCM guidelines would be implemented. All critical care patients would have appropriate monitoring, medications, airway equipment, and a defibrillator during transport. All intubated patients would be transported utilizing end-tidal C02 monitoring. A subcommittee of the ED, OR, and Critical Care Medical Director and CNS discussed implementation of the guidelines, education, and equipment requirements for these areas to comply with the standards. This was quite a deviation from current practice. Collaboration was imperative. A procedure was developed and agreed upon after much discussion. Pharmacy created a consistent drug box with the necessary medications for all critical care departments. Staff education was completed with train-the-trainer methodology and Transport has been part of the critical care competencies in both 2004 and 2005.
Evaluation/Outcomes: Organizationally, it is neither easy nor common to get the critical care units, ER, and OR to standardize equipment and care of patients. A standard of care for transfer of critical care patients was accomplished. Now, all critical care patients, regardless of where they originate in the organization, are consistently monitored and transported safely.
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