AB246. SOH26AB_0373. One year of critical care inter-hospital transfers at University Hospital Limerick

Background: University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Department of Anaesthesiology provides a critical care transport service. Anaesthesiology doctors on call may be tasked with completing the inter-hospital transfers (IHTs). The aim is to quantify frequency, describe the characteristics, and identify common critical events (CE).

Methods: A Google form recorded data from 01/09/2024 to 01/09/2025. A QR code linked to the form, which was mandatory after IHT. Data was extracted and analysed using descriptive statistics in Excel.

Results: A total of 63 IHTs were recorded. January had the highest number. The monthly average was 4.8. Thirty-seven occur between 20:00 and 07:59. Duration ranges from <1 hour up to 6 hours, and the average duration was 2 hours. Forty-nine percent of IHTs travelled to Dublin and 44% to Cork. Fifty-seven percent of IHTs were adult patients. All 28 paediatric IHTs were to Dublin. Fifty-six percent of IHTs had CE. Forty-four percent were technical CE (TCE) and 25% were medical CE (MCE). The most common MCE was worsening 02 requirement (30%). The most common TCE was equipment malfunction (37%). All doctors who encountered a CE felt they were able to manage it appropriately.

Conclusions: Capacity at UHL has increased, increasing IHT volume and putting additional strain on the IHT workforce. Efficient planning is essential. IHT timing should be considered to optimise IHT duration and staffing requirements. Twenty percent more IHTs occur at night. January has 52% more IHT than the average. Seventy-four percent of IHTs last between 1 and 3 hours in duration. Dublin is the most common destination. CE occur on 56% of IHT, 25% are medical.

Keywords: Anaesthesiology; critical care; inter-hospital transfer (IHT); retreival medicine; quality improvement