Prehospital response to respiratory distress by the public ambulance system in a Ukrainian city.

Background: The capability of the public ambulance system in Ukraine to address urgent medical complaints in a prehospital environment is unknown. Evaluation using reliable sources of patient data is needed to provide insight into current treatments and outcomes.

Methods: We obtained access to de-identified computer records from the emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch center in Poltava, a medium-sized city in central Ukraine.