[Medical emergency service. Descriptions of a one-year activity at an emergency communication center]

The emergency medical communication centre, Vestfold Central Hospital, receives emergency medical calls (phone 113), from 200,000 citizens in Vestfold county. Calls are categorised by urgency (red, yellow or green) according to the Norwegian Index to Emergency Medical Assistance, a criteria-based dispatch manual. In 1993, 2,440 red (suspected life-threatening conditions), 3,502 yellow and 6,505 green calls were received. The frequency of red and yellow calls did not differ much through the day, but varied between different municipalities in the county. The cause of emergencies varied by month. Acute illness increased in May and December, accidents in June, July and December. Psycho-social emergencies (violence, suicide, drug abuse) seemed to vary in a circadian manner. Efforts were made 628 times to give basic life support instruction by telephone. An ambulance was the most frequent response, general medical practitioners were called upon relatively seldom. The response was estimated to adequate in 79% of the incidents, exaggerated in 9% and inadequate in 3%.