Emergency call utilization over a 10-years period: an observational study in Region Zealand, Denmark, 2013-2022.

Background: Improving prehospital emergency care requires a comprehensive understanding of the efficiency of emergency medical services and demand fluctuations. The medical emergency call is the primary contact between citizens and the emergency medical dispatch center, serving as the gateway to accessing emergency assistance. This study aimed to characterize the emergency call population and analyze the development of emergency call utilization in Region Zealand in Denmark during a 10-years period.

Racing against time: Emergency ambulance dispatches and response times, a register-based study in Region Zealand, Denmark, 2013-2022.

Background: The global strain on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is reflected in the increasing number of emergency ambulance dispatches. Shorter EMS response times have demonstrated some effect on very specific and rare conditions. It is unknown if the increased number of ambulance dispatches compromises response times.

Survival of the fastest? A descriptive analysis of severely injured trauma patients primarily admitted or secondarily transferred to major trauma centers in a Danish inclusive trauma system.

Background: Trauma systems are crucial for enhancing survival and quality of life for trauma patients. Understanding trauma triage and patient outcomes is essential for optimizing resource allocation and trauma care.

Aims: The aim was to explore prehospital trauma triage in Region Zealand, Denmark.

Treat and release: an observational study of non-conveyed high-acuity dispatches in a Danish emergency medical system.

Non-conveyance refers to the practice of treating a patient on-site without transporting them to a medical facility. It may decrease unnecessary hospital transfers and improve patient satisfaction. Nonetheless, ensuring patient safety remains paramount.

Foreign body airway obstruction resulting in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark - Incidence, survival and interventions.

Background: Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) stands as an important contributor to accidental fatalities, yet prompt bystander interventions have been shown to improve survival. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence, interventions, and survival outcomes of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) related to FBAO in comparison to patients with non-FBAO OHCA.

Methods: In this population-based cohort study, we included all OHCAs in Denmark from 2016 to 2022.

Characteristics and critical care interventions in drowning patients treated by the Danish Air Ambulance from 2016 to 2021: a nationwide registry-based study with 30-day follow-up.

Background: Improving oxygenation and ventilation in drowning patients early in the field is critical and may be lifesaving. The critical care interventions performed by physicians in drowning management are poorly described. The aim was to describe patient characteristics and critical care interventions with 30-day mortality as the primary outcome in drowning patients treated by the Danish Air Ambulance.

Emergency Medical Services dispatcher recognition of stroke: A systematic review.

Purpose: Stroke treatments are time-sensitive, and thus early and correct recognition of stroke by Emergency Medical Services is essential for outcomes. This is particularly important with the adaption of mobile stroke units. In this systematic review, we therefore aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of Emergency Medical Services dispatcher recognition of stroke.

Prehospital interventions and outcomes in traumatic cardiac arrest: a population-based cohort study using the Danish Helicopter Emergency Medical Services data.

Background And Importance: Traumatic cardiac arrest is associated with poor prognosis, and timely evidence-based treatment is paramount for increasing survival rates. Physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service use in major trauma has demonstrated improved outcomes. However, the sparsity of data highlights the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of traumatic cardiac arrest.

Pre-hospital symptoms associated with acute bacterial meningitis differs between children and adults.

Community acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) is a medical emergency requiring timely appropriate action. More knowledge about pre-hospital symptoms is needed. Retrospective observational study of pre-hospital management in patients with CABM between 2016 and 2021 admitted to a hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark.

The Danish National Child Health Register.

Aim Of The Database: The aim of the National Child Health Registry is to provide comprehensive insight into children's health and growth on a national scale by continuously monitoring the health status of Danish children. Through this effort, the registry assists the health authorities in prioritizing preventive efforts to promote better child health outcomes.

Study Population: The registry includes all Danish children, however, incomplete coverage persists.

Is dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation affected by a bystander's emotional stress state in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?

Aim: The study aimed to investigate whether a bystander's emotional stress state affects dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The primary outcome was initiation of chest compressions (Yes/No). Secondarily we analysed time until chest compressions were initiated and assessed how dispatchers instructed CPR.

Ambulance response times and 30-day mortality: a Copenhagen (Denmark) registry study.

Background And Importance: Ensuring prompt ambulance responses is complicated and costly. It is a general conception that short response times save lives, but the actual knowledge is limited.

Objective: To examine the association between the response times of ambulances with lights and sirens and 30-day mortality.

Association between using a prehospital assessment unit and hospital admission and mortality: a matched cohort study.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare hospital admission and 30-day mortality between patients assessed by the prehospital assessment unit (PAU) and patients not assessed by the PAU.

Design: This was a matched cohort study.

Setting: This study was conducted between November 2021 and October 2022 in Region Zealand, Denmark.

Recognition of visual symptoms in stroke: a challenge to patients, bystanders, and Emergency Medical Services.

Background: Identification of visual symptoms as a sign of acute stroke can be challenging for both first line healthcare professionals and lay persons. Failed recognition of visual symptoms by medical dispatchers at the Emergency Medical Dispatch Center (EMDC-112) or personnel at the Out-of-Hours Health Service (OOHS) may delay stroke revascularization. We aimed to identify correct system response to visual symptoms in emergency calls.

Danish Drowning Formula for identification of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from drowning.

Background: Accurate, reliable, and sufficient data is required to reduce the burden of drowning by targeting preventive measures and improving treatment. Today's drowning statistics are informed by various methods sometimes based on data sources with questionable reliability. These methods are likely responsible for a systematic and significant underreporting of drowning.

AED applied, not recommending defibrillation - A validation study of the new variable AED in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry.

Aim: This study aimed to design and implement a new variable, the automated external defibrillator (AED) variable, within the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry. The introduction of the new variable aims to investigate and solve the challenges of reporting out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Methods: This validation study examined all patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from 2016 to 2019.

Hypothetical interventions on emergency ambulance and prehospital acetylsalicylic acid administration in myocardial infarction patients presenting without chest pain.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) patients presenting without chest pain are a diagnostic challenge. They receive suboptimal prehospital management and have high mortality. To elucidate potential benefits of improved management, we analysed expected outcome among non-chest pain MI patients if hypothetically they (1) received emergency ambulances/acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as often as observed for chest pain patients, and (2) all received emergency ambulance/ASA.

Registered prodromal symptoms of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest among patients calling the medical helpline services.

Background Early identification of warning symptoms among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients remains challenging. Thus, we examined the registered prodromal symptoms of patients who called medical helpline services within 30-days before OHCA. Methods Patients unwitnessed by emergency medical services (EMS) aged ≥18 years during their OHCA were identified from the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry (2014-2018) and linked to phone records from the 24-h emergency helpline (1-1-2) and out-of-hours medical helpline (1813-Medical Helpline) in Copenhagen before the arrest.

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During the past 20 years the survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has almost quadrupled from 4% in 2001 to 14% in 2020. There has been a huge focus on layman education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of automated external defibrillators (AED), implementation of healthcare staff at 1-1-2 dispatch centers, early recognition of OHCA, establishment of a national AED register with publicly available AEDs, and dispatch of volunteer responders in case of nearby OHCA. This review describes implemented initiatives with the purpose of improving survival from OHCA in Denmark.

Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Denmark.

Background: Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (POHCA) has received limited attention. All causes of POHCA and outcomes were examined during a 4-year period in a Danish nationwide register and prehospital medical records. The aim was to describe the incidence, reversible causes, and survival rates for POHCA in Denmark.

Symptoms reported in calls to emergency medical services within 24 hours prior to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Aim: There is limited evidence regarding prodromal symptoms of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to describe patient characteristics, prodromal symptoms, and prognosis of patients contacting emergency medical services (EMS) within 24 hours before OHCA.

Methods: We identified all OHCA treated by Copenhagen EMS from 2016 through 2018 using the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry and linked them to emergency calls.

Artificial intelligence in Emergency Medical Services dispatching: assessing the potential impact of an automatic speech recognition software on stroke detection taking the Capital Region of Denmark as case in point.

Background And Purpose: Stroke recognition at the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) impacts the stroke treatment and thus the related health outcome. At the EMS Copenhagen 66.2% of strokes are detected by the Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) and in Denmark approximately 50% of stroke patients arrive at the hospital within the time-to-treatment.

Nonspecific symptoms dominate at first contact to emergency healthcare services among cases with invasive meningococcal disease.

Background: An early appropriate response is the cornerstone of treatment for invasive meningococcal disease. Little evidence exists on how cases with invasive meningococcal disease present at first contact to emergency medical services.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of cases presenting with invasive meningococcal disease from January 1st of 2016 to December 31st of 2020 in the Capital Region of Denmark with a catchment area population of 1,800,000.

Description of call handling in emergency medical dispatch centres in Scandinavia: recognition of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and dispatcher-assisted CPR.

Background: The European resuscitation council have highlighted emergency medical dispatch centres as an important key player for early recognition of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) and in providing dispatcher assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before arrival of emergency medical services. Early recognition is associated with increased bystander CPR and improved survival rates. The aim of this study is to describe OHCA call handling in emergency medical dispatch centres in Copenhagen (Denmark), Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway) with focus on sensitivity of recognition of OHCA, provision of dispatcher-assisted CPR and time intervals when CPR is initiated during the emergency call (NO-CPR), and to describe OHCA call handling when CPR is initiated prior to the emergency call (CPR).