Analysis Of Patients Transported To Emergency Department Via Ambulance

Abstract

Study Objective: One of the important points in the patient transport is to obey rules. Patients are transported to the emergency departments (ED) in every hour of the day. This study was performed to determine the appropriateness of patient transports.
Methods: Ambulance form was prepared and then patients transported to Firat University Faculty of Medicine ED between 26th of May 2004 and 5th of September 2004 were registered prospectively.
Results: During the study period, 524 patients were transported by ambulance. Mean arrival time was 32.17±54.7 minutes. 207 of patients (39.5%) were female, 307 (60.5%) were male. Mean age of patients was 47±23. Patients were classified as trauma, medical emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Patients were transported from EDs’ and clinics of other hospitals and place of event by ambulance of 112 unite. Of patients diagnosed with CPA, 17 (85%) had pulmonary arrest and 15 (75%) had cardiac arrest. Nine patients (45%) had asystole and six (30%) had pulseless electrical activity as cardiac rhythm. Eleven (55%) of the CPA cases were intubated and five were performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation where they were transported from. Most of trauma patients (70.1%) were male and mean arrival time was 43.21±58.9 minutes. While 51 of these patients (27.3%) were accompanied by doctor, only 30 (16%) of them were applied cervical immobilization.
Conclusion: It was determined that during transport of patients by ambulance, attention is not paid to transport rules, airway safety and cervical immobilization.