ABSTRACT
A critical care transfer is the movement of any critically ill patient either within a hospital (intra-hospital transfer) or to another hospital (inter-hospital transfer) so the patient can receive definitive care from a specialist team. Non-clinical or capacity transfers may take place when the only critical care resource is available at another location. The aim of an effective transfer is to provide on-going critical care support in a safe manner, despite the environmental change. The decision to transfer a patient must be carefully weighed against the risks and benefits. Intensivists in the referring and receiving hospitals would normally take this decision in conjunction with colleagues from the relevant specialities involved in the patient's care. Complications arising during a transfer can be particularly difficult to manage due to the limited access to the patient and constraints of the transport environment. Transfer medicine is a broad area of critical care medicine encompassing evacuation, repatriation and aeromedical work.
