Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T21:51:21.794Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

15 - Mechanical ventilation for transport

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2009

Iain Mackenzie
Affiliation:
Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
Get access

Summary

Introduction

The number of transfers of critically ill patients within and between hospitals has been continuously increasing throughout the entire evolution of intensive care medicine. This is mostly due to the development of highly technical and non-portable diagnostic devices, the escalating complexity of healthcare, the concentration of skills into specialized regional centres and, not uncommonly, a shortage of intensive care beds. The transfer or transport of critical care patients offer the most difficult challenges and require detailed planning, preparation, skill, knowledge and teamwork to achieve success. Even the transport of patients between two departments in one hospital can be hazardous. Arguably, the highest risk is that of ensuring a patent airway and adequate ventilation. This chapter discusses the process of transferring ventilated patients and examines portable ventilators in some detail.

Basic overview of ventilation for transfer or transport

Indications and contra-indications for transfer

Almost invariably, critical care patients are transferred or transported either to a higher level of clinical care or to a diagnostic procedure that will help direct future clinical management. The indications for transfer are therefore clinical and have the ultimate aim of delivering the patient to the most appropriate care or delivering the most appropriate care to the patient.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×