ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to measure peak acceleration forces during interfacility transport; examine whether drops in cerebral oxygenation occurred; and test the associations between cerebral oxygenation, acceleration, and patient positioning. METHODS: A cerebral oximeter (INVOS-5100C; Somanetics, Minneapolis, MN) monitored regional saturation of oxygen (rSO2 [cerebral oxygenation]) in pediatric and neonatal patients (N = 24) transported between facilities by ground ambulance, helicopter, or fixed wing aircraft. An accelerometer (GP1; SENSR, Georgetown, TX) bolted to the isolette or gurney recorded z-axis (aligned with the spine) accelerations. RESULTS: The z-axis peak accelerations (absolute values of g) by transport type were as follows: ground ambulance takeoff mean = 0.16 and landing mean = 0.08, helicopter takeoff mean = 0.16 and landing mean = 0.05, fixed wing aircraft takeoff mean = 0.14 and landing mean = 0.20. During takeoff, 2 of 7 patients in the head-to-front of vehicle position experienced rSO2 drop. During landing, 4 of 13 patients in the head-to-back of vehicle position experienced rSO2 drop. There were no significant associations of rSO2 drop during takeoff and landing with patient positioning or with z-axis peak acceleration. CONCLUSION: Acceleration forces of pediatric and neonatal interfacility transport are small and comparable in magnitude. The relationship between rSO2 drop and patient positioning was not significant in this pilot study.
