UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Transfer of emergency general surgery cases

Category: Administration

Keywords: Transfer, surgery, scoping review, further research (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/28/2024 by Robert Flint, MD (Updated: 2/11/2024)
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These authors performed a scoping review of English language studies involving United States general surgery patients that required transfer to another facility looking at timing of transfer, triage guidelines, and mode of transport . They concluded: “There were mixed results for the impact of transfer timing on outcomes with heterogeneous definitions of delay and populations. Triage guidelines for EGS transfer were consensus or expert opinion. No studies were identified addressing the mode of interfacility EGS transfer.”  More research is needed in the area concerning timing, triage and mode of transport for these patients.

References

Silver, David S. MD, MPH; Teng, Cindy MD; Brown, Joshua B. MD, MSc. Timing, triage, and mode of emergency general surgery interfacility transfers in the United States: A scoping review. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 95(6):p 969-974, December 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004011