Telephone triage and dispatch of ambulances to patients with suspected and verified acute stroke - a descriptive study

In this study we aimed to explore EMCC triage of suspected and confirmed stroke patients to gain more knowledge about the initial phase of the acute stroke response chain. Accurate dispatch at the Emergency Medical Communication Center (EMCC) is crucial for optimal resource utilization in the prehos...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC emergency medicine 2024-03, Vol.24 (1), p.43-43, Article 43
Main Authors: Jamtli, Bjørn, Hov, Maren Ranhoff, Jørgensen, Trine Møgster, Kramer-Johansen, Jo, Ihle-Hansen, Hege, Sandset, Else Charlotte, Kongsgård, Håvard Wahl, Hardeland, Camilla
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambulance services
Ambulances
Assessments
Clinics
Consciousness
Emergency calls
Emergency medical care
Emergency medical communication center
Emergency medical dispatch
Emergency medical services
Emergency response
Emergency service
Emergency vehicles
Hospitals
Ischemia
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
National identity
Paramedics
Patients
Prehospital care
Prehospital stroke management
Resource utilization
Stroke
Stroke patients
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Summary:In this study we aimed to explore EMCC triage of suspected and confirmed stroke patients to gain more knowledge about the initial phase of the acute stroke response chain. Accurate dispatch at the Emergency Medical Communication Center (EMCC) is crucial for optimal resource utilization in the prehospital service, and early identification of acute stroke is known to improve patient outcome. We conducted a descriptive retrospective study based on data from the Emergency Department and EMCC records at a comprehensive stroke center in Oslo, Norway, during a six-month period (2019-2020). Patients dispatched with EMCC stroke criteria and/or discharged with a stroke diagnosis were included. We identified EMCC true positive, false positive and false negative stroke patients and estimated EMCC stroke sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). Furthermore, we analyzed prehospital time intervals and identified patient destinations to gain knowledge on ambulance services assessments. We included 1298 patients. EMCC stroke sensitivity was 77% (95% CI: 72 - 82%), and PPV was 16% (95% CI: 14 - 18%). EMCC false negative stroke patients experienced an increased median prehospital delay of 11 min (p 
ISSN:1471-227X
1471-227X
DOI:10.1186/s12873-024-00962-7