The COVID-19 pandemic has placed exceptional demand on Intensive Care Units, necessitating the critical care transfer of patients on a regional and national scale. Performing these transfers required specialist expertise and involved moving patients over significant distances. Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex created a designated critical care transfer team and was one of the first civilian air ambulances in the United Kingdom to move ventilated COVID-19 patients by air. We describe the practical set up of such a service and the key lessons learned from the first 50 transfers. Retrospective review of air critical care transfer service set up and case review of first 50 transfers. We describe key elements of the critical care transfer service, including coordination and activation; case interrogation; workforce; training; equipment; aircraft modifications; human factors and clinical governance. A total of 50 missions are described between 18 December 2020 and 1 February 2021. 94% of the transfer missions were conducted by road. The mean age of these patients was 58 years (29–83). 30 (60%) were male and 20 (40%) were female. The mean total mission cycle (time of referral until the time team declared free at receiving hospital) was 264 min (range 149–440 min). The mean time spent at the referring hospital prior to leaving for the receiving unit was 72 min (31–158). The mean transfer transit time between referring and receiving units was 72 min (9–182). Critically ill COVID-19 patients have highly complex medical needs during transport. Critical care transfer of COVID-19-positive patients by civilian HEMS services, including air transfer, can be achieved safely with specific planning, protocols and precautions. Regional planning of COVID-19 critical care transfers is required to optimise the time available of critical care transfer teams.

中文翻译：

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从英国民用直升机紧急医疗服务团队进行的前 50 次 COVID-19 重症监护转移任务中吸取的经验教训

COVID-19 大流行对重症监护病房提出了特殊的需求，因此需要在区域和国家范围内对患者进行重症监护。执行这些转移需要专业知识，并且涉及将患者转移到很远的距离。空中救护车 Kent Surrey Sussex 创建了一个指定的重症监护转移团队，并且是英国首批通过空中运送通风的 COVID-19 患者的民用空中救护车之一。我们描述了此类服务的实际设置以及从前 50 次转移中吸取的主要经验教训。对空中重症监护转运服务设置的回顾性审查和前 50 次转运的案例审查。我们描述了重症监护转移服务的关键要素，包括协调和激活；案件审讯；劳动力；训练; 设备; 飞机改装；人为因素和临床治理。在 2020 年 12 月 18 日至 2021 年 2 月 1 日期间，共有 50 次任务被描述。94% 的转移任务是通过公路进行的。这些患者的平均年龄为 58 岁 (29-83)。30 人（60%）为男性，20 人（40%）为女性。平均总任务周期（转诊到团队在接收医院宣布自由的时间）为 264 分钟（范围 149-440 分钟）。在前往接收单位之前在转诊医院花费的平均时间为 72 分钟 (31-158)。参考单位和接收单位之间的平均转移传输时间为 72 分钟 (9-182)。重症 COVID-19 患者在转运过程中具有高度复杂的医疗需求。通过民用 HEMS 服务转移 COVID-19 阳性患者的重症监护，包括空中转移，可以通过特定的计划、协议和预防措施安全地实现。需要对 COVID-19 重症监护转移进行区域规划，以优化重症监护转移团队的可用时间。