La actividad asistencial de los Servicios de Emergencias Médicas en España

Abstract

Objective: To compare the use of out-of-hospital emergency medical services (EMSs) in different parts of Spain. Methods: Retrospective observational study of the use of out-of-hospital EMSs in 17 autonomous communities in Spain and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla in 2009. Information sources included the published literature and the results of a structured questionnaire survey followed by direct contact with EMS administrative supervisors for clarification. Results: We detected significant differences between communities (P<.05, all comparisons) with respect to the use of mobile intensive care units (MICUs) for both primary and secondary transport; the differences were found in both average daily use and population-adjusted mean use. The percentage of all calls to the dispatch center that were attended by MICUs also differed between communities. Likewise, the communities differed significantly in their use of air medical transport resources. Conclusions: The use of pre-hospital EMS resources varies greatly in Spain. In particular, the communities differ in their use of MICUs, in terms of mean number of calls attended by these units and the means adjusted per 100 000 inhabitants.