[Prehospital treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disease. Before and after introduction of a mobile emergency unit].

Introduction: A Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU), manned by an anaesthesiologist and a member of the ambulance crew, was introduced in the city of Arhus in 1997. Endotracheal intubation is not performed by ambulance personnel in Denmark. The aim of this study was to describe the influence of prehospital treatment given by the MECU on the rate of endotracheal intubation, hospitalisation, and survival rate in patients suffering from acute exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disease.