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. 2012 Jul-Sep;16(3):366-73.
doi: 10.3109/10903127.2012.664246. Epub 2012 Mar 23.

Transport disposition using the Transport Risk Assessment in Pediatrics (TRAP) score

Sarah B Kandil  1 , Heather A Schmenk Sanford, Veronika Northrup, Michael Theodore Bigham, John Sebastian Giuliano Jr
Affiliations

Transport disposition using the Transport Risk Assessment in Pediatrics (TRAP) score

Sarah B Kandil et al. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2012 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Background: Determining appropriate disposition for referred pediatric patients is difficult, since it relies primarily on a telephone description of the patient. In this study, we evaluate the Transport Risk Assessment in Pediatrics (TRAP) score's ability to assist in appropriate placement of these patients. This novel tool is derived from physiologic variables.

Objectives: To determine the feasibility of calculating a TRAP score and whether a higher score correlates with pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission.

Methods: We performed an observational study of pediatric patients transported by a specialized team to a tertiary care center and the feasibility of implementing the TRAP tool. Patients were eligible if transported by the pediatric specialty transport team for direct admission to the children's hospital. The TRAP score was obtained either through chart review of the transport team's initial assessment or in real time by the transport team.

Results: A total of 269 patients were identified, with 238 patients included in the study. Using logistic regression, higher TRAP scores were associated with PICU admission (odds ratio [OR] 1.40, p < 0.001). Patients with a higher score were also less likely to leave the PICU within 24 hours (OR 0.79, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The TRAP score is a novel objective pediatric transport assessment tool where an elevated score is associated with PICU admission for more than 24 hours. This score may assist with the triage decisions for transported pediatric patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transport Risk Assessment in Pediatrics (TRAP) score. HR, heart rate; mo, month; yr, year; SBP, systolic blood pressure; Resp, respiratory; RR, respiratory rate; SAT, oxygen saturation; FiO2, fraction of inspired oxygen; cap, capillary; sec, second; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; temp, temperature in Celsius.
Figure 2
Figure 2
TRAP score distribution: A, for all pediatric transports and B, by disposition. The P value represents the probability of a difference between the median TRAP scores distributed between the general pediatric ward vs. PICU.
Figure 2
Figure 2
TRAP score distribution: A, for all pediatric transports and B, by disposition. The P value represents the probability of a difference between the median TRAP scores distributed between the general pediatric ward vs. PICU.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Receiver Operator Curve for PICU admission. AUC, area under the curve; CI, confidence interval.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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