Transport of the Neonate with a Difficult/Critical Airway

Transport of the neonate with a critical airway is amongst the most challenging scenarios in the field of Transport Medicine. This chapter will review the national models of transport systems, as well as discuss best practices. It will also discuss the rules and regulations which govern interfacility transport, such as the Federal EMTALA laws. Pre-transport decision-making of the neonate with a critical airway will be carefully explored, including decisions about appropriate team compositions and modes of transport. The clinical aspects will be dissected from the time of the initial call, to the arrival of the transport team at the referring institution, to the loading of the patient for the return trip, to the actual ride back to the accepting institution. Nuances unique to rotor-wing and fixed-wing travel will be carefully explored, with special attention to altitude physiology. After reading this chapter, the reader will understand both the pre-transport factors crucial to transport planning, as well as have a firm grasp on the clinical management of the transport of a neonate with a critical airway.