PIPER - Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval

1300 13 76 50

Click here to visit the PIPER site

Overview

• The PIPER retrieval number has been designated to assist with the provision of clinical advice regarding the management of paediatric (i.e. patients before their 16^th birthday) trauma patients and to coordinate their referral and transfer the Paediatric Major Trauma Service at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
• The number is typically used to facilitate the Inter-hospital transfer of a Paediatric Major Trauma patient.
• Initial contact is with a PIPER co-ordinator who will facilitate a conference call between the caller, an ED physician and a PICU physician at the Royal Children’s Hospital.  If particular expertise is required from specialist services such as Paediatric Neurosurgery, Plastic or Orthopaedic surgery, these services can also be included in the conference call.
• It is essentially for:
  • Advice regarding the acute trauma care of the time critical trauma case
  • Crisis intervention
  • Planning for transfer
• Anyone can use the number – doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health workers
• Not every patient needs to be transferred – it is an advice line as well.