[Are ambulances manned by physicians used in a sufficient extent for trauma patients?]

The aim of the study was to investigate, how often a hospital-based ambulance manned by medical doctors from the intensive care unit took part in prehospital treatment and transportation of severely injured patients in the Holstebro area. The design was a retrospective investigation based on reports concerning all trauma patients admitted by ambulance to Holstebro Central Hospital during the period 1.1.1990 to 31.12.1990 (171 admissions). All cases were classified according to the AIS-scale (1990 version) and the ISS-score was calculated for all patients. Of a total of 198 calls where the hospital based ambulance was activated, only 18 (9.1%) were for trauma patients. Five of the trauma patients were dead when the ambulance arrived, and 13 were admitted to hospital. Median ISS in the group of patients that was transported by a standard ambulance was 8.6 (1-18), and 12.7 (1-43) in the group of patients that was transported by the special ambulance manned by medical doctors. Fifteen patients (68.2%) out of the group of patients with an ISS-score > 12 were transported by standard ambulance. We thus conclude that the activation of the hospital-based ambulance manned with medical doctors to trauma patients has to be improved, so that all severely traumatised patients are transported by this kind of ambulance instead of by a standard ambulance.