Emergency medical service utilization by the elderly

The growing number of aged in the United States will continue to increase the demand for medical services, including emergency care. In a medium-sized city, 22% of 14,400 emergency medical service responses were to patients over 65 years of age. Of the elderly, those over 75 years were more likely to call EMS than were those between 65 and 74 years old. Men used the service more often than did women. Men were more likely to suffer a cardiac condition; women, an injury. Elderly patients were 1.7 times more likely to require paramedic-accompanied transportation to hospital.