Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea

Summary: Background: This study investigated unnecessary emergency medical services (EMS) transports by comparing geriatric patients treated and not treated at the emergency department (ED) after EMS transports, and factors associated with lack of treatment at the ED of geriatric patients after EMS...

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Main Authors: Jung Sung Hwang, Sun Hyu Kim, Christine Van Dillen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taiwan Society of Geriatric Emergency and Critical Medicine (TSGECM) 2018-09-01
Series:International Journal of Gerontology
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873959816302034
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author Jung Sung Hwang
Sun Hyu Kim
Christine Van Dillen
author_facet Jung Sung Hwang
Sun Hyu Kim
Christine Van Dillen
author_sort Jung Sung Hwang
collection DOAJ
description Summary: Background: This study investigated unnecessary emergency medical services (EMS) transports by comparing geriatric patients treated and not treated at the emergency department (ED) after EMS transports, and factors associated with lack of treatment at the ED of geriatric patients after EMS transports. Methods: A retrospective review of EMS run sheets was conducted for geriatric patients (≥age 65) admitted by EMS. Study subjects were divided in two groups according to if they were treated at the ED (ED treatment group) or not treated (non-ED treatment group). General demographics, clinical demographics and prehospital treatment were compared between groups. Results: Of the total of 1251 EMS run sheets, non-ED treatment group comprised 49 (3.9%) of patients. Elapsed time from scene to ED was longer with the non-ED treatment group. Oxygen saturation was lower in the ED treatment group than the non-ED treatment group and wound care was more frequently conducted in the non-ED treatment group. Causes of not receiving treatment at the ED were against medical advice (37%) and based on doctors' suggestion (67%). Conclusion: The non-ED treatment group consisted of more patients with alcohol intake, higher oxygen saturation, alert mentality and wound care than the ED treatment group. Prehospital wound care was the risk factor for not receiving ED treatment after EMS transports in geriatric patients. Keywords: emergency medical services, geriatric, emergency department
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spelling doaj.art-85fd47c4e69c4f3a8e4f4b3795f9ffaa2022-12-22T02:47:22ZengTaiwan Society of Geriatric Emergency and Critical Medicine (TSGECM)International Journal of Gerontology1873-95982018-09-01123222226Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South KoreaJung Sung Hwang0Sun Hyu Kim1Christine Van Dillen2Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author. Department of Emergency Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 877 Bangeojinsunhwando-ro, Dong-gu Ulsan 44033, Republic of Korea.Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando Health, Orlando, FL, USASummary: Background: This study investigated unnecessary emergency medical services (EMS) transports by comparing geriatric patients treated and not treated at the emergency department (ED) after EMS transports, and factors associated with lack of treatment at the ED of geriatric patients after EMS transports. Methods: A retrospective review of EMS run sheets was conducted for geriatric patients (≥age 65) admitted by EMS. Study subjects were divided in two groups according to if they were treated at the ED (ED treatment group) or not treated (non-ED treatment group). General demographics, clinical demographics and prehospital treatment were compared between groups. Results: Of the total of 1251 EMS run sheets, non-ED treatment group comprised 49 (3.9%) of patients. Elapsed time from scene to ED was longer with the non-ED treatment group. Oxygen saturation was lower in the ED treatment group than the non-ED treatment group and wound care was more frequently conducted in the non-ED treatment group. Causes of not receiving treatment at the ED were against medical advice (37%) and based on doctors' suggestion (67%). Conclusion: The non-ED treatment group consisted of more patients with alcohol intake, higher oxygen saturation, alert mentality and wound care than the ED treatment group. Prehospital wound care was the risk factor for not receiving ED treatment after EMS transports in geriatric patients. Keywords: emergency medical services, geriatric, emergency departmenthttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873959816302034
spellingShingle Jung Sung Hwang
Sun Hyu Kim
Christine Van Dillen
Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea
International Journal of Gerontology
title Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea
title_full Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea
title_fullStr Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea
title_full_unstemmed Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea
title_short Unnecessary Emergency Medical Services Transports of Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea
title_sort unnecessary emergency medical services transports of geriatric patients in a tertiary hospital in south korea
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873959816302034
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AT christinevandillen unnecessaryemergencymedicalservicestransportsofgeriatricpatientsinatertiaryhospitalinsouthkorea