Impact of Inter-facility Critical Care Transport System in Saudi Arabia: Acute Aortic Dissection Case Report

Abstract

The critical care transport service (CCT) is an important factor in the successful delivery of high-quality services by any healthcare system or programme. It is conducted by well-trained, qualified paramedics, nurses and respiratory therapists. The cornerstone of CCT is to ensure, during the transport of patients, continuity of the critical care initiated by the referring provider until arrival at the receiving provider. We report a case of a patient with acute aortic dissection who presented to a general hospital in Riyadh, requiring emergent advanced surgical intervention that is available only in tertiary hospitals. The coordination of the patient’s transfer was arranged by the emergency medical services’ team leader within the health cluster that includes both the general and tertiary hospitals involved in the case. This process resulted in the required service being provided within record time, with excellent outcomes. This case report highlights the impact and importance of inter-facility critical care transport systems.