Critical care transfers - a danger foreseen is half avoided.

Authors :: Haji-Michael P
Source :: Critical care (London, England) [Crit Care] 2005 Aug; Vol. 9 (4), pp. 343-4. Date of Electronic Publication: 2005 Jul 12.
Publication Year :: 2005
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.