Pediatric Transport Team

The Pediatric Transport Team (PTT) of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children is a multidisciplinary group responsible for inter-hospital transport of sick and injured children ages birth to eighteen years. The Team’s primary catchment area is within a 120-mile radius of Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children; transports outside that area are infrequent, but do exist. Primary transport destination is Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, but requests for transport of AIDHC patients to other facilities for specialty services, i.e., severe burns, are honored as well. The team is trained and equipped to care for patients with both minor illnesses and those requiring aggressive resuscitation and management.

The team operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Team consists of two team members, one of which is an RN. Direct medical control is supplied by board-certified pediatric intensivists. The majority of patients transported are under two years of age, with principal admitting diagnoses of respiratory illness and neurological disorders. Trauma patients with both single-extremity and multi-system injuries are also served. The team uses specially-designed equipment to maintain or exceed the level of care provided by referring facilities, including multi-parameter vital-sign monitors, compact infusion pumps and defibrillator/external pacemakers. Advanced procedures performed by PTT staff include vascular access (intravenous and intraosseous), endotracheal intubation, chest decompression and advanced airway management.

The PTT transports on average four patients daily with little seasonal variation in census. Ninety percent of patients are transported by ambulance; the remaining patients are flown by helicopter. Patient placement includes specialty units such as pediatric intensive care, cardiac intensive care, burn, emergency and surgical units, as well as general pediatric floors. In addition to performing inter-hospital transports, PTT staff assist with patient care in the PICU, NICU, and ER, and serve as resources to other nursing units within the hospital.