Safety in the neonatal and infant transport system: Report on three cases with evidence-based comments on safety during transportation

Abstract

Infant transport has been carried out in Slovenia since 1976. Applying the principles of safe transport was essential to avoid unexpected exposure of critically ill infants to unnecessary and adverse events. Besides organizational and technical prerequisites for safe transportation, evidence-based clinical knowledge and practical competence are of utmost importance. Furthermore, the ongoing possibility of consulting other colleagues during transportation, choose the optimal form of retrieval of very sick infants, is sometimes needed and preferred. Three different cases are presented here where skilled medical teams decided how to transport critically ill infants, and at what risks and costs. All three transports were successfully completed with good outcomes despite difficult clinical conditions prior to and during retrieval.