Background

It is not yet consensual whether parents should accompany their child during interfacility transport and during primary transport to the hospital. However new guidelines have been recently published for neonatal transport encouraging this policy.

Our emergency transport team has accepted to ride with parents in our ambulances for more than ten years, with various results.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the perception of this policy by the members of our team.

Methods

An anonymous survey was sent via an internet link to all driving, nursing and medical staff. Through 4 closed questions, they were asked to assess their perception of parental presence during retrieval. They could also underline the potential advantages and challenges of such policy.

Results

Thirty members (out of 31) of the team answered the survey. Parental presence during retrieval was perceived as “an opportunity” to ease the retrieval for 50% of the staff, compared to 3% considering parental presence as a “burden”. Twenty five percent thought that parental presence had “no influence”.

The most dreadful event (among 7 proposals) which may occur during the ride was an inappropriate parental behavior. The staff's expectation was that parents reassure their child during transfer.

Conclusion

As both medical, nursing and driving staff are ready to allow parental presence during retrieval, it should be included in the routine policy. A further study is needed to check if it doesn’t increase risks during retrieval.

Background

Parental presence during critical care was a major concern a few years ago. The problem is now solved, but there is little evidence about it during interfacility transport and primary intervention.

Objectives

We decided to conduct a study to assess and understand our current policy.

Methods

The prospective monocentric study was conducted from April 2018 to October 2018. Nursing staff was asked to state and rate the parents’ presence during retrieval by means of a standardized questionnaire. We used one answer only questions from a larger survey: “Have you transported one of the parents?” They had to choose one answer out of four: Yes, on their request, Yes on our demand, No they declined, No it wasn’t an option.

Results

Staff questionnaire was returned for 333/709 of the retrievals (47% response rate)

There was a major difference between neonates and older children accompaniment.

Forty percent of the newborns’ parents and 12% of the older children’s parents were not even asked to come with the ambulance. Respectively 17% and 77% of the parents accompanied the ride but 80% and 20% of those who were asked to accompany declined the proposal.

Conclusion

The difference of parental presence during neotate’s or older children’s retrieval is a concern even if the mother’s absence could be partially explained by the fact they needed medical attention after birth. It could be interesting to perform the same type of study in different countries in order to have the advice of caregivers.