Halo 194 (Jan 2018)
Factors affecting the activation and reaction times of the emergency medical care
Abstract
Introduction: The chain of events that leads to the intervention of the Emergency Medical Aid team at the site of the incident has four links: (1) reporting the incident, (2) registering the call for intervention, (3) dispatching the vehicle and (4) emergency medical team intervention. Objective: to identify some of the elements that can affect activation and reaction time. Methods: The research has been designed as a prospective study with the sample of immediate priority calls for medical intervention in Belgrade between January 1st 2011 and December 31st 2011. For each call, the activation and reaction times were measured. Results: The mean activation time for 2011 is 1,54±2,25 minutes (median 0,83, IKO (0,33; 1,83) min.). The mean reaction time for 2011 is 9,07±6,05 minutes (median 7,85, IKO (4,88; 11,87) min.). Discussion: The mean activation time for interventions in a public place is 0.73 minutes shorter than for interventions in the patient's place of residence. Interventions in suburbia are expected to have a longer reaction time than those downtown. Conclusion: The activation time analysis shows that the activation time is significantly shorter when the intervention is in a public place. It takes longer for teams to arrive to the patient's place of residence or to a suburban setting.
