The child requiring transport: lessons and implications for the pediatric emergency physician.

A retrospective review of the charts of all patients transported by our emergency transport team was done to determine the following characteristics: age, presenting problem, and outcome of patients and utilization of transport team personnel. Eighty-five percent of patients were under six years of age; central nervous system pathology accounted for 53% of patients transported, followed by respiratory problems (30%), cardiac problems (4.2%), and major trauma (2.7%). Sixty patients survived with normal neurologic examination at discharge. A statistically significant difference in retrospectively assigned PSI score (17.0 +/- 6.02 in nonsurvivors versus 5.8 +/- 6.02 in survivors) was observed. Utilization of the transport team was deemed appropriate. Comparison of our data with other available sources, as well as suggestions for emergency physicians and continuing medical education programs, is outlined.