Limited need for hospital resources among patients brought to hospital by the emergency medical services

BMC Emergency Medicine

Johan Herlitz¹  Helena Ryge²  Filip Scott²  Christer Axelsson³  Carl Magnusson⁴ 

[1] Centre for Prehospital Research, Faculty of Caring Science, Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, Borås, Sweden;Department of Prehospital Emergency Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden;Department of Prehospital Emergency Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden;Centre for Prehospital Research, Faculty of Caring Science, Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, Borås, Sweden;Institute of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden;Department of Prehospital Emergency Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden;

关键词: Emergency Medical Service;    Emergency Department;    Hospital Resources;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12873-021-00549-6

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn Sweden, the majority of patients who are transported to hospital by the emergency medical services (EMS) are relatively old and the majority suffer from comorbidity. About half these patients are admitted to a hospital ward and will stay in hospital. However, the other half will only make a visit to the emergency department (ED). The burden on the ED is extensive and many elderly patients have to stay for many hours in the ED.AimTo describe the patients who are brought to hospital by the EMS, with particular emphasis on those that were discharged from the ED, and to assess the proportion of these patients who did not require hospital resources, which could mean that they were candidates for primary care (PC).MethodsAn observational analysis of a cohort of patients who were transported to hospital by the EMS in 2016 in the Municipality of Gothenburg.ResultsIn all, 5,326 patients were transported to hospital by the EMS of which 52% were discharged directly from the ED. These patients included 37% assessed as not requiring hospital resources. The three most common causes of contact with the EMS in this subset were abdominal pain (15%), back pain (8%) and non-specified disease (7%). Of these patients, 77% had contact with a physician in the ED, whereas 6% had contact with a nurse and 17% left the ED without any contact. Twenty-six per cent were given advice on follow-up in PC.ConclusionsAmong patients who were brought to hospital by the EMS, more than half were discharged directly from the ED. Among these patients, 37% were assessed as not requiring hospital resources. These patients comprised 15% of the overall study cohort and may be candidates for primary care.

【 授权许可】

CC BY