The association between ED-to-ICU transfer time and hospital mortality varies significantly across ICU admission diagnoses and hospital types.
In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients, prolonged ED-to-ICU transfer time correlates with increased mortality in academic hospitals but a paradoxical reduction in mortality in nonacademic teaching hospitals.
No significant mortality association was found between transfer time and other diagnoses such as overdose, sepsis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, or intracranial hemorrhage.
Findings underline the need for prospective studies focusing on diagnosis-specific pathways and hospital processes to optimize ED-to-ICU transfer times.
