Respiratory Assistance for Transport

Respiratory Therapy is happy to assist with transport, but they do NOT have someone pre-assigned for transports. They must free up a respiratory therapist from another assignment, so following this process will help the appropriate provider respond in a timely manner.

  • Who to call: RCS Charge Therapist (x6-1020)
  • When to call:
    • 45-60 min ahead of time (or as soon as it is known) – preferably by anesthesia team for a good patient history and to answer question
    • Again 15-20 minutes prior to transport (it takes ~15 minutes to change into bunny suit, obtain vent/equipment, and come to the OR) – OK for circulator to call
  • What information they need:
    • Patient name and MRN
    • Any special protocols (ARDS, TBI, APRV)
    • Any special respiratory meds (Flolan)
    • Destination (Specific ICU/room number and/or CT scanner if known)
    • Your name, phone number, and role (ie: CRNA/anesthesia vs. circulator RN, etc)
  • At arrival of RCS:
    • Confirm requested ventilator settings
    • RCS is generally expecting to help with the ventilator during transport.
      • *Please communicate any non-standard or special requests clearly! (Ie: Teach me how to use the vent, help drive the bed, etc).
  • For rare cases where RCS is not available, anesthesia staff should be familiar with transport ventilators located in OR 1 and PACU.

 

RCS Assistance with Transport PDF

Content updated September 2023 by Agrawal