• Brønnum Nystrup Kristin K From the Anaesthesia and Surgical Clinic Department, Juliane Marie Centre., Porntiva Poorisrisak, Morten Breindahl, and Peter Hallas.
• From the Anaesthesia and Surgical Clinic Department, Juliane Marie Centre.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2020 Aug 1; 36 (8): 389-392.

ObjectivesNo national guidelines exist in Denmark regarding interhospital transport of critically ill children. The aim of this study was to disclose which physicians actually accompany critically ill children during interhospital transports nationwide and whether the physicians have adequate clinical skills to perform interhospital transfers.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to the youngest pediatrician on-call at every hospital in Denmark receiving pediatric emergencies except the tertiary Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet.ResultsSeventeen pediatric departments were contacted (response rate, 100%). All departments indicated that they perform interhospital transport of pediatric patients. When presented with 5 cases, great heterogeneity in the choice of transport physician and accompanying staff was seen. With increasing severity, fewer pediatricians were willing to transport the children (24% vs 6%). Irrespective of the degree of severity, more transports were delegated to anesthesiologists than performed by pediatricians. Pediatricians who agreed to transport the infant and neonate had adequate competencies. In cases with older children, 0 to 75% of physicians who would do the transport had adequate clinical skills and experience in emergency pediatric respiratory and cardiovascular management. Training in interhospital transport was offered by 1 department; 6 departments (35%) had local guidelines describing the management of pediatric transports.ConclusionsGreat heterogeneity was found in the local transport strategies and practical skill sets of accompanying physicians. Overall, there is room for improvement in the management of interhospital transport of critically ill children in Denmark, perhaps by increasing the availability of specialized pediatric transport services for critically ill children nationwide.

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