The impact of a pre-hospital medical response unit on patient care and emergency department attendances.
Affiliation
Emergency Department, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork., conordeasy@hotmail.comIssue Date
2012-02-03T15:10:40ZMeSH
AdolescentAdult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Child
Child, Preschool
*Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Service, Hospital/*utilization
Female
Humans
Infant
Ireland
Male
Middle Aged
*Patient Care Team
Pilot Projects
*Quality of Health Care
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Ir Med J. 2008 Feb;101(2):44-6.Journal
Irish medical journalPubMed ID
18450248Abstract
A rapid response team was instigated in Cork to improve prehospital care and reduce unnecessary Emergency Department (ED) visits. This consisted of a Specialist Registrar (SpR) in Emergency Medicine and a Paramedic who attended all "999" calls in a designated rapid response vehicle on the allotted study days. Two hundred and sixty-three patients were seen on designated days between Jan 2004 and March 2006. Presentations seen included; road traffic accident (23%) collapse (12%), fall (10%) and seizure (8%). The majority of calls were to houses (36%). The most common medical intervention was intravenous cannulation (25%). Intravenous medications were administered in 21% of these patients--morphine sulphate was the most common drug given. It was possible to safely discharge 31% of patients on scene. In our experience skilled Emergency Medicine doctors attending at scene could provide advanced care and reduce ambulance transportation and patient attendance.Language
engISSN
0332-3102 (Print)0332-3102 (Linking)
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