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Irish medical journal · Feb 2008
The impact of a pre-hospital medical response unit on patient care and emergency department attendances.
- C Deasy, D Ryan, C O'Donnell, and S Cusack.
- Emergency Department, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork. conordeasy@hotmail.com
- Ir Med J. 2008 Feb 1; 101 (2): 44-6.
AbstractA 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.
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