Epidemiology of Shortness of Breath in Prehospital Patients in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Background: Shortness of breath is a frequent reason for patients to request prehospital emergency medical services and is a symptom of many life-threatening conditions. To date, there is limited information on the epidemiology of, and outcomes of patients seeking emergency medical services for, shortness of breath in India.

Objective: This study describes the characteristics and outcomes of patients with a chief complaint of shortness of breath transported by a public ambulance service in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.