Overview of the Shenzhen Emergency Medical Service Call Pattern

doi:10.5847/wjem.j.issn.1920-8642.2012.04.002

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In Shenzhen, the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system has been in service since 1997. This study aims to examine the operation of Shenzhen 120 EMS center and to identify the reasons of calling EMS.

METHODS: In this retrospective quantitative descriptive study, the data from the Shenzhen 120 EMS registry in 2011 were analyzed.

RESULTS: Shenzhen 120 EMS center is a communication command center. When the number of 120 are dialed, it is forwarded to the closest appropriate hospital for ambulance dispatch. In 2011, the Shenzhen 120 EMS center received 153 160 ambulance calls, with an average of 420 calls per day. Calling emergency services was mainly due to traffic accidents. Trauma and other acute diseases constituted a majority of ambulance transports. The adult patients aged 15-60 years are the principal users of EMS. There are no recognized 'paramedic' doctors and nurses. The pre-hospital emergency service is under the operation of emergency departments of hospitals. Shenzhen at present does not have specialized pre-hospital training for doctors and nurses in post-trauma management. Moreover, specialized pre-hospital training, financial support, and public health education on proper use of EMS should be emphasized.

CONCLUSION: The Shenzhen 120 EMS center has its own epidemiology characteristics. Traumatic injury and traffic accident are the main reasons for calling ambulance service. In-depth study emphasizing the distribution and characteristics of trauma patients is crucial to the future development of EMS.

Key words: Emergency Medical Service System, Shenzhen, Pre-hospital emergency care

Shuk Man Lo, Yi Min Yu, Lap Yip Larry Lee, Mi Ling Eliza Wong, Sek Ying Chair, Edward J Kalinowski, Tak Shing Jimmy Chan. Overview of the Shenzhen Emergency Medical Service Call Pattern[J]. World Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2012, 3(4): 251-256.

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Category of diseases	Male n (%)	Female n (%)	Total number of classified ambulance calls n (%)
Trauma	30 573 (34.17)	11 140 (12.45)	41 713 (46.62)
General	9 599 (10.73)	7 577 (8.47)	17 176 (19.20)
Poisoning	4 361 (4.87)	1 569 (1.75)	5 930 (6.63)
Gynecology & obstetric 0 (0.00)		4 348 (4.86)	4 348 (4.86)
Digestive	3 540 (3.96)	2 605 (2.91)	6 145 (6.87)
Cardiovascular	1 908 (2.13)	1 796 (2.01)	3 704 (4.14)
Neurovascular	1 690 (1.89)	1 072 (1.20)	2 762 (3.09)
Respiratory	1 137 (1.27)	965 (1.08)	2 102 (2.35)
Pediatric	780 (0.87)	461 (0.52)	1 241 (1.39)
Urology	670 (0.75)	251 (0.28)	921 (1.03)
Psychiatric	555 (0.62)	601 (0.67)	1 156 (1.29)
Suicide	440 (0.49)	627 (0.70)	1 067 (1.19)
Ear/nose/throat/eye/dental 286 (0.32)		146 (0.16)	432 (0.48)
Disaster incident	228 (0.25)	93 (0.10)	321 (0.36)
Oncology	146 (0.16)	86 (0.10)	232 (0.26)
Endocrine	107 (0.12)	82 (0.09)	189 (0.21)
Infectious	21 (0.02)	7 (0.01)	28 (0.03)
Grand total	56 041 (62.64)	33 426 (37.36)	89 467 (100.00)

Rank	Causes for ambulance call (category)	Total number of classified ambulance calls n (%)
1	Traffic accident (trauma)	18 106 (20.24)
2	External wound / bleeding (trauma)	10 851 (12.13)
3	Syncope with loss of consciousness	8 492 (9.49)
4	Poisoning (poisoning)	5 930 (6.63)
5	Slip & fall (trauma)	5 152 (5.76)
6	Assault accident (trauma)	4 620 (5.16)
7	Dizziness / generalized fatigue	4 101 (4.58)
8	Abdominal pain (digestive disease)	3 875 (4.33)
9	Convulsion / epilepsy	2 415 (2.70)
10	Chest pain / heart disease	2 384 (2.66)

Category of diseases	Pediatric (0-14) n (%)	Adult (15-60) n (%)	Geriatric (>60) n (%)	Total number of classified ambulance calls n (%)
Trauma	1 839 (2.06)	37 553 (41.97)	2 321 (2.59)	41 713 (46.62)
General	596 (0.67)	13 791 (15.41)	2 789 (3.12)	17 176 (19.20)
Poisoning	152 (0.17)	5 687 (6.36)	91 (0.10)	5 930 (6.63)
Gynecology & obstetric	24 (0.03)	4 324 (4.83)	0 (0.00)	4 348 (4.86)
Digestive disease	77 (0.09)	5 359 (5.99)	709 (0.79)	6 145 (6.87)
Cardiovascular	25 (0.03)	2 176 (2.43)	1 503 (1.68)	3 704 (4.14)
Neurovascular	44 (0.05)	1 547 (1.73)	1 171 (1.31)	2 762 (3.09)
Respiratory	28 (0.03)	1 124 (1.26)	950 (1.06)	2 102 (2.35)
Pediatric	1 241 (1.39)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	1 241 (1.39)
Urology	6 (0.01)	794 (0.89)	121 (0.14)	921 (1.03)
Psychiatric	22 (0.02)	1 073 (1.20)	61 (0.07)	1 156 (1.29)
Suicide	21 (0.02)	1 016 (1.14)	30 (0.03)	1 067 (1.19)
Ear/nose/throat/eye/dental	40 (0.04)	334 (0.37)	58 (0.06)	432 (0.48)
Disaster incident	14 (0.02)	299 (0.33)	8 (0.01)	321 (0.36)
Oncology	0 (0.00)	110 (0.12)	122 (0.14)	232 (0.26)
Endocrine	1 (0.00)	116 (0.13)	72 (0.08)	189 (0.21)
Infectious	1 (0.00)	25 (0.03)	2 (0.00)	28 (0.03)
Grand total	4 131 (4.62)	75 328 (84.20)	10 008 (11.19)	89 467 (100.00)

Reasons of calling (Category)	Pediatric (0-14) (n, %)	Adult (15-60) (n, %)	Geriatric (>60) (n, %)
Traffic accident (trauma)	1 006 (1.12)	16 537 (18.48)	0
Convulsion/epilepsy (pediatric)	616 (0.69)	0	0
External wound/ bleeding (trauma)	393 (0.44)	10 156 (11.35)	0
Syncope with loss of consciousness	0	7 197 (8.04)	1 040 (1.16)
Slip & fall (trauma)	0	0	1 268 (1.42)
Dizziness/generalized fatigue	0	0	1 066 (1.19)
Grand total	4 131 (4.62)	75 328 (84.20)	10 008 (11.19)