Critical Care Transport of Patients With COVID-19. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frakes, Michael A.; Richards, Jeremy B.; Cocchi, Michael N.; Cohen, Ari; Cohen, Jason E.; Dargin, James; Friedman, Franklin D.; Kaye, Adam S.; Rettig, Jordan S.; Seethala, Raghu; Wilcox, Susan R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of intensive care medicine. Volume 36:Number 6(2021)
• Page Start: 704
• Page End: 710
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: critical care transport -- COVID-19 -- acute respiratory distress syndrome -- mortality; Critical care medicine -- Periodicals; Critical Care -- Periodicals; Soins intensifs -- Périodiques; Soins intensifs; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.02805
• DOI: 10.1177/08850666211001797
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0885-0666

Abstract

Purpose: Critical care transport is associated with a high rate of adverse events, and the risks and outcomes of transporting critically ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been previously described. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of transports of subjects with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 from sending hospitals to tertiary care hospitals in Boston. Follow-up data were obtained for patients transported between March 1st and April 20th, 2020. Results: Of 254 charts identified, 250 patients were transported. Nine patients (3.5%) had cardiac arrest prior to transport. Twenty-nine (11.6%) had hypotension, 22 (8.8%) had a critical desaturation, and 4 (1.6%) had both en route. Hospital follow-up data were available for 189 patients. Of those intubated during their hospitalization, 44 (25.0%) had died, 59 (33.5%) had been extubated, and 13 (17.6%) had been discharged alive. For the subgroup with prior cardiac arrest, follow-up data available for 6. Of these 6, 2 died and 4 (66.7%) have been discharged alive. Conclusions: Few patients with COVID-19 had an adverse event in transport. The in-hospital mortality rate was 25%, with a 33.5% extubation rate. Patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest prior to transport had a 66.7% discharge rate among those transported to consortium hospitals.