Table 1 Expert panel recommendations for neonatal and paediatric retrievals of positive or suspected COVID-19 patients, panel members’ average rating for each recommendation (1—strongly disagree, 5—strongly agree) and the degree of agreement between panel members expressed as a percentage. A percentage of above 70% agreement was considered strong.
| Panel recommendations | Average rating of agreement | Rating expressed in % of agreement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Determine status of the patient, COVID-19 positive or suspected, at referral of the patient | 5.0 | 100 |
| 2 | Full PPE for transport staff involved in clinical patient care during the transport | 5.0 | 100 |
| 3 | Reduced PPE for assisting transport staff not involved in patient care but within <2 m of patient | 4.9 | 98 |
| 4 | Transport teams to train and simulate donning and doffing procedures of PPEs | 5.0 | 100 |
| 5 | Patient should whenever feasible wear a surgical mask to minimize aerosol spread | 4.7 | 93 |
| 6 | Use cuffed endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes, including for newborn infants, to avoid aerosol spread by air leak | 4.9 | 98 |
| 7 | Use video-laryngoscopy whenever possible for intubation | 4.5 | 90 |
| 8 | Use strict protocol/checklist for the airway management/intubation | 4.9 | 98 |
| 9 | Use HEPA filters on the inspiratory limb of the ventilation circuit | 4.1 | 82 |
| 10 | Use HEPA filters on the expiratory limb, to avoid spreading contaminated air from the patient | 5.0 | 100 |
| 11 | No recommendation for or against the use of humidified air or heater/humidifier | 4.7 | 93 |
| 12 | Provide non-invasive ventilation with the use of a ventilator and a dual-limb system and filters as recommended above | 4.9 | 98 |
| 13 | Any incubator transport is to be handled like an open stretcher transport from a PPE point of view | 4.1 | 82 |
| 14 | Place newborn infant in suitably sized plastic bag to prevent heat loss and to reduce the need for incubator humidification | 4.8 | 97 |
| 15 | Transport infants and children without parents or relatives, regardless if symptomatic or not. | 4.7 | 93 |
| 16 | Assure secure and dedicated pathway for entering the receiving unit | 5.0 | 100 |
| 17 | Decontaminate any exposed transport equipment including equipment left within the transport vehicle. | 4.9 | 98 |
