Feasibility and utility of portable ultrasound during retrieval of sick preterm infants

Aim Document the incidence of haemodynamic pathology in critically ill preterm newborns requiring transport. Method A transport neonatologist performed cardiac and cerebral ultrasound before and after transportation of infants born ≤30 weeks gestation. Results Forty‐four newborns were studied in 2008–2015; of them, 21 were transported by road, 19, by helicopter and four, by fixed wing: median birthweight, 1130 g (680–1960 g) and median gestation, 27 weeks (23–30); 30 of 44 were male babies. Antenatal steroid course was complete in two babies. Ultrasound in the referring hospital was at a mean of two hours: 47 minutes (00:15–7:00) of age. Low systemic blood flow was common: 50% had right ventricular output