Table 2.

Recommendations for the transfer of the critically ill

Recommendations and opinions
•	Critically ill patients should be transferred by a specialized retrieval team
•	Intensive care should not be interrupted by transportation of the patient
•	Specialized retrieval teams should receive transfer training
•	Specific training programmes should be developed
•	Specialized retrieval teams should be staffed by a physician, preferably an intensivist and an ICU nurse
•	The accompanying physician makes the final decision whether the patient is transferrable and which treatment is given during the transport
•	Experience and training are more important than speed
•	Transfer organisations should have a quality management system
•	Incident reporting should be standardized and mandatory
•	Equipment used should conform with both ICU and transfer standards
•	Adults can learn from children (in the organization of transport)