The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Oct 2005
Interhospital transfers of patients with surgical emergencies: areas for improvement.
To review mortality associated with interhospital transfers of patients with surgical emergencies from rural and peripheral metropolitan areas. ⋯ Hospital systemic issues associated with mortality included extensive time delays in transfers, an inadequate transport process and frequent out-of-hours emergency operations. Patient features related to mortality included advanced age, significant medical co-morbidity and surgical pathology with a poor prognosis. Improvements concerning interhospital transfers of patients should address both systemic and patient issues.