[Emergency departments--2016 update]

Lactate Levels and Clearance: Key Predictors of Prognosis for COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 Septic Shock Patients in the Emergency Department

BACKGROUND

This investigation assesses the prognostic value of lactate levels and their clearance in septic shock patients, particularly emphasizing the comparative analysis between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients in the emergency department. This study aims to elucidate the unique prognostic implications of lactate dynamics in these distinct patient groups, thereby enhancing the management of septic shock.

METHODS

An observational prospective study was conducted, enrolling 114 septic shock patients from the Emergency County Hospital Resita, Romania, categorizing them into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups to examine their initial lactate levels, clearance rates, and their correlation with patient outcomes.

RESULTS

This study identified significant differences in the initial lactate levels and clearance rates between the two groups, indicating higher initial lactate levels and slower clearance rates in COVID-19 patients. Survivors demonstrated significantly lower initial lactate levels (1.5 ± 0.4 mmol/L) and higher lactate clearance rates (33 ± 15%) compared to non-survivors (2.5 ± 0.5 mmol/L and 24 ± 9%, respectively; lactate levels p = 0.001, clearance rates p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Lactate monitoring, particularly clearance rates, is crucial in the prognostic assessment of septic shock patients. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions in COVID-19 patients to improve outcomes, underscoring lactate dynamics as a vital component of septic shock management in differing patient populations.

[Self-help measures as determinants of emergency department utilization among people with and without a migration history in Germany]

INTRODUCTION

We analyzed whether there were differences between people with and without migration history in their implementation of self-help measures before they accessed the services of an emergency department and if there was an association between self-help measures and an appropriate utilization of emergency departments.

METHODS

The data basis of this secondary analysis is the EUMaR study, which was conducted from July 2018 to July 2019 and aimed to identify causes contributing to inappropriate and frequent use of emergency departments by migrants. Our study aimed to analyze the differences in self-help measures carried out by the population groups using several multiple logistic regressions. The association between self-help measures implemented and appropriate emergency department utilization was quantified using a multiple logistic regression as well as interactions.

RESULTS

The odds of first-generation migrants visiting an emergency department on their own initiative (OR=1.28; 95% CI, 1.01-1.61) was high compared to people without migrant history. Furthermore, the odds of their doing something by themselves against their complaints (OR=0.70; 95% CI, 0.56-0.86) were low. The odds of appropriate utilization of emergency services by respondents who self-initiated a visit to an emergency department were lower (OR=0.41; 95% CI, 0.34-0.50). The odds of appropriate utilization of emergency department services by respondents who had previously measured vital signs (e. g., blood pressure) were higher (OR=1.28; 95% CI, 1.02-1.59).

CONCLUSION

Barriers to the health care system as well as to general practitioners, medicines or medical aids among first-generation migrants could explain the increased odds of their visiting an emergency department on their own and the lower odds of their doing something by themselves about their complaints. A hypothesis of our study is that measuring vital signs may help to better assess individual health status.

Primary admission to a surgical service facilitates early cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis but does not influence patient outcome

PURPOSE

Early cholecystectomy is recommended for acute calculous cholecystitis to reduce complications and lower health care costs. However, not all patients admitted to emergency services due to acute calculous cholecystitis are considered for surgery immediately. Our intention was therefore to evaluate patient management and outcome parameters following cholecystectomy depending on the type of emergency service patients are primarily admitted to.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients that were treated for acute cholecystitis at our hospital between 2014 and 2021. Only patients that underwent surgical treatment for acute calculous cholecystitis were included. Patients with cholecystectomies that were performed due to other medical conditions were not incorporated. Primary outcomes were the perioperative length of stay and postoperative complications. Perioperative antimicrobial management and disease deterioration according to Tokyo Guidelines from 2018 due to inhouse organization were assessed as secondary outcome parameters.

RESULTS

Of 512 patients included in our final analysis, 334 patients were primarily admitted to a surgical emergency service (SAG) whereas 178 were initially treated in a medical service (MAG). The latency between admission and cholecystectomy was significantly prolonged in the MAG with a median time to surgery of 2 days (Q25 1, Q75 3.25, IQR 2.25) compared to the SAG with a median time to surgery of 1 day (Q25 1, Q75 2, IQR 1) (p < 0.001). The duration of surgery was comparable between both groups. Necrotizing cholecystitis (27.2% vs. 38.8%, p = 0.007) and pericholecystic abscess or gallbladder perforation (7.5% vs. 14.6% p = 0.010) were less frequently described in the SAG. In the SAG, 85.7% of CCEs were performed laparoscopically, 6.0% were converted to open, and 10.4% were performed as open surgery upfront. In the MAG, 80.9% were completed laparoscopically, while 7.2% were converted and 11.2% were performed via primary laparotomy (p = 0.743). Histologically gangrenous cholecystitis was confirmed in 38.0% of the specimen in the SAG compared to 47.8% in the MAG (p = 0.033). While the prolonged preoperative stay led to prolonged overall length of stay, the postoperative length of stay was similar at a median of 3 days in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, we present the largest single center cohort of acute calculous cholecystitis evaluating the perioperative management and outcome of patients admitted to either medical or surgical service prior to undergoing cholecystectomy. In patients that were primarily admitted to medical emergency services, we found disproportionately more gallbladder necrosis, perforation, and gangrene. Despite prolonged time intervals between admission and cholecystectomy in the MAG and advanced cases of cholecystitis, we did not record a prolonged procedure duration, conversion to open surgery, or complication rate. However, patients with acute calculous cholecystitis should either be primarily admitted to a surgical emergency service or at least a surgeon should be consulted at the time of diagnosis in order to avoid disease progression and unnecessary health care costs.

Factors predicting admission of psychiatric emergency contacts after presenting to the emergency department: results of a regression analysis

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric emergency patients have great relevance in the interdisciplinary emergency department. Emergency physicians in this setting often have to make decisions under time pressure based on incomplete information regarding the patient's further treatment. The aim of this study was to identify possible predictors associated with an increased likelihood of inpatient psychiatric admission.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study of all psychiatric emergency contacts in an interdisciplinary emergency department (ED) of a general hospital in a large German city was conducted for 2015. A binary regression analysis was performed to identify possible predictors.

RESULTS

In 2015, a total of 21421 patient contacts were reported in the emergency department, of which 1733 were psychiatric emergencies. Psychiatric emergency was the fourth most common cause presenting to the ED. The most common diagnosis given was mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychotropic substances (F1). Factors associated with an increased probability of inpatient psychiatric admission were previously known patients, patients under a legal care order (guardianship), and previous outpatient medical contact. No association for gender or age was found. Data demonstrated a negative relationship between a neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorder diagnosis and admission.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study shows some significant characteristics associated with an increased likelihood of emergency admission. Independent of the health care system, the predictors found seem to be relevant with regard to the probability of admission, when compared internationally. To improve the treatment of patients in emergency units, these factors should be taken into account.

The effect of perceived stress on organizational silence in emergency service doctors in Turkey: The mediating role of emotional intelligence

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between the stress perceptions of emergency medicine doctors and their organizational silence behaviors.

Methods

Data were collected digitally from 434 doctors working in emergency departments in Turkey. On the assumption that perceived stress was effective on organizational silence behavior and that emotional intelligence mediates this relationship, hypotheses were developed and a mediating effect model was established. The research model and hypotheses were shaped through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Hayes 4th model was used to test the research hypotheses. The research model was tested via SPSS Process v4.1 by Andrew F. Hayes.

Results

According to the correlation analysis to determine the relationship between the variables, it was determined that perceived stress was positively correlated with organizational silence behavior, emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with perceived stress, and emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with organizational silence. As a result of the mediating effect model test, it was determined that emotional intelligence had a statistically significant mediating effect in the effect of perceived stress on organizational silence.

Conclusion

Within the framework of the findings, it is thought that emotional intelligence is a key variable in turning the negative energy between stress and silence into positive.

[Structure and Organization of an Emergency Department]

The more diverse the German hospital landscape, the more important it is to define tasks and processes in order to ensure a uniform standard of care at the highest level for the population. With the introduction of additional training in clinical acute and emergency medicine and specifications for inpatient emergency care, important foundations for the necessary structure of emergency rooms have been given.

[Fellowship Training Program in Emergency Medicine]

German emergency departments have experienced significant development in recent years due to changes in health care policy as well as continued professionalism in emergency department medical care. The German Medical Association has taken this development into account and included an additional post residency fellowship training program in emergency medicine into their 2018 model training regulation guidelines. The specialized training in emergency medicine covers the initial diagnosis and treatment of patients in the emergency department as well as medical decision making and coordination of further specialist medical care in interdisciplinary cooperation. The following article provides information about requirements, content, and duration of the fellowship training program in emergency medicine, which has now been introduced in emergency departments throughout Germany.

Organisation und Durchführung der Schmerztherapie in deutschen Notaufnahmen – eine Onlineumfrage

Einleitung

Obwohl Schmerzen der häufigste Grund für eine Vorstellung in der Notaufnahme sind, ist ihre Erfassung und Therapie sehr heterogen organisiert und wird vielfach von Patienten als unzureichend beschrieben. Eine spezielle Leitlinie existiert bislang nicht und so wird beispielsweise die Delegation an die Notfallpflege nach Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) sehr unterschiedlich gehandhabt.

Methode

Mithilfe einer Umfrage erfolgte eine Ist-Analyse zur Organisation und Durchführung der akuten Schmerztherapie in deutschen Notaufnahmen. 18 Fragen wurden onlinebasiert erstellt und über das Notaufnahmeverzeichnis der DGINA e. V. (Deutsche Gesellschaft für interdisziplinäre Notfall- und Akutmedizin) und DIVI e. V. (Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin) an die Leiter von 951 deutschen Notaufnahmen verschickt.

Ergebnis

Es konnten 166 vollständige Fragebögen ausgewertet werden. Die Erfassung der Schmerzen erfolgt bei 77,7 % der Notaufnahmen innerhalb der ersten 10 min nach Erstkontakt, meist mit der numerischen Rating-Skala (46,4 %). Obwohl 17,7 % nicht dauerhaft ärztlich besetzt sind, dürfen in insgesamt 32,5 % der Notaufnahmen Pflegekräfte keine eigenständige Schmerztherapie durchführen. Eine spezielle SOP gab es nur in 44,8 % der befragten Notaufnahmen. Die am häufigsten verwendeten Analgetika sind Piritramid und Morphin sowie Metamizol und Ibuprofen.

Schlussfolgerung

Eine entsprechende nationale Leitlinie könnte Handlungssicherheit geben und als Grundlage für angepasste, örtliche SOP helfen, Verzögerungen bei der akuten Schmerztherapie zu vermeiden.

Influence of Weekday and Seasonal Trends on Urgency and In-hospital Mortality of Emergency Department Patients

Background

Given the scarcity of resources, the increasing use of emergency departments (ED) represents a major challenge for the care of emergency patients. Current health policy interventions focus on restructuring emergency care with the help of patient re-direction into outpatient treatment structures. A precise analysis of ED utilization, taking into account treatment urgency, is essential for demand-oriented adjustments of emergency care structures.

Methods

Temporal and seasonal trends in the use of EDs were investigated, considering treatment urgency and hospital mortality. Secondary data of 287,119 ED visits between 2015 and 2017 of the two EDs of Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow Klinikum were analyzed.

Result

EDs were used significantly more frequently on weekends than on weekdays (Mdn = 290 vs. 245 visits/day; p < 0.001). The proportion of less urgent, outpatient emergency visits on weekends was above average. Holiday periods were characterized by at least 6, and at most 176 additional ED visits. In a comparison of different holidays, most ED visits were observed at New Year (+68% above average). In addition, a significant increase in in-hospital mortality on holidays was evident among inpatients admitted to hospital via the ED (3.0 vs. 3.2%; p < 0.001), with New Year's Day being particularly striking (5.4%).

Conclusion

These results suggest that, in particular, the resource planning of outpatient emergency treatment capacities on weekends and holidays should be adapted to the increased volume of non-urgent visits in EDs. Nevertheless, treatment capacities for the care of urgent, inpatient emergencies should not be disregarded and further research projects are necessary to investigate the causes of increased mortality during holiday periods.

Integrierte Notfallzentren: eine Lösung zur Patientensteuerung?

Hintergrund

Die deutschen Notaufnahmen sind überfüllt. Immer mehr Patienten suchen im Bedarfsfall eine Notaufnahme auf, obwohl diese teilweise von einem niedergelassenen Arzt behandelt werden könnten. Durch die geplante Einführung von integrierten Notfallzentren (INZ) soll dieser Überfüllung und Überlastung der Notaufnahmen entgegengewirkt werden. Doch können INZ zur Patientensteuerung genutzt werden und welche personellen und strukturellen Voraussetzungen müssen dafür erfüllt sein?

Methode

Zur Beantwortung dieser Fragestellungen wurde eine literaturgestützte empirische Primärdatenerhebung durchgeführt. Eine systematische Literaturrecherche bildete dabei die Grundlage für eine weiterführende Querschnittserhebung. Ziel war es, publizierte Meinungen und Positionen verschiedener Fachverbände, Gesellschaften und Experten unter Klinikern zu hinterfragen. Die Datenerhebung fand durch eine quantitative Befragung in Form einer Online-Umfrage statt. Adressaten der Online-Umfrage waren alle ärztlichen und pflegerischen Notaufnahmeleitungen (N = 331) in Bayern. Zur Datenauswertung wurde das Statistikprogramm SPSS verwendet.

Ergebnisse

Ein Drittel der Notaufnahmeleitungen (N = 107) hat sich an der Online-Umfrage beteiligt. Die Teilnehmer setzen sich aus 57 ärztlichen und 50 pflegerischen Leitungen zusammen. Mehr als 80 % der befragten Teilnehmer erachten INZ als sinnvoll. Als wichtige Voraussetzungen für die Etablierung von INZ gelten dabei die Zusammenarbeit aller Beteiligten, eine validierte Ersteinschätzung, angemessene Personalbemessungsmodelle sowie eine transparente Ausgestaltung von INZ.

Diskussion

INZ werden momentan als ein vielversprechender Lösungsansatz betrachtet. Damit eine Patientensteuerung gelingen kann, müssen die genannten Voraussetzungen erfüllt sein.

[Restructuring of inpatient emergency treatment : What will change?]

The resolution on the restructuring of inpatient emergency treatment was passed by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) on 19 April 2018 based on the Hospital Structure Act and became binding with the publication in the Bundesanzeiger on 18 May 2018. The resolution describes the future structural and qualitative prerequisites for participation of hospitals in the provision of emergency treatment in three levels: basic emergency treatment, extended emergency treatment and comprehensive emergency treatment. Furthermore, a level of nonparticipation is also planned. In addition, there are special modules, e.g. for the treatment of children and auxiliary modules for specifically equipped hospitals with highly specialized patient treatment (e.g. stroke unit). A transition regulation period of 3-5 years provides hospitals with the possibility to adjust to the new minimum requirements. The German Hospital Federation (DKG) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-SV) will negotiate the assessment of surcharges and deductions subsequent to the resolution.

[Characterization of Ambulant Emergency Contacts in an Emergency Room at a General Hospital]

OBJECTIVE

Scientific interest in emergency psychiatric patients has increased significantly over the last two decades. Nevertheless, current knowledge of this group of patients in the setting of an interdisciplinary emergency department is surprisingly low.

METHODS

A retrospective examination of all ambulatory psychiatric emergency contacts in the emergency room of a regional hospital in 2015 took place.

RESULTS

Solely F4 diagnoses accounted for 48.1 % of all first-time patients. Female patients younger than 25 years used the ER twice as often as their male control-group. Almost half of all outpatients fulfilled no emergency criteria.

CONCLUSION

There are specific age and gender differences. The proportion of patients without any emergency criteria was surprisingly high. More scientific research is needed in order to scrutinize this possible inappropriate use of an ER by psychiatric patients.

[Training in clinical acute and emergency medicine - Supraspeciality in Germany : A concept for nationwide implementation!]

At the 121st German Physicians Conference 2018 in Erfurt a resolution to accept the full amendment of the (draft) further training regulations (MWBO) was adopted and the State Medical Councils were requested to include them in their respective areas of responsibility. Therefore, the nationwide implementation of the supraspeciality (ZWB) for clinical acute and emergency medicine has been officially finalized. After consultation with the German Medical Council (BÄK) concerning the format, both the new MWBO 2018 and now the content of the ZWB are available as of 15 November 2018.The Physicians Conference resolution and anchoring of the new ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine in the MWBO were preceded by a process lasting approximately 10 years. The concept of the ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine, which was scrutinized by the Standing Committee on "medical further training" and the board of the BÄK and presented for approval, was essentially developed by representatives of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) and the German Society for Interdisciplinary Emergency and Acute Medicine (DGINA) in consultation with the BÄK. A consensus was finally reached in September 2017 in cooperation with those German specialist societies with a high proportion of emergency patients.In addition to the title, definition, and minimum requirements for applying the ZWB, the content was processed according to the European curriculum for emergency medicine. The structural prerequisites have now been approved, the Standing Committee has configured the content, and the complete MWBO 2018 has been successfully presented, such that the ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine is expected to be implemented in the individual Federal States within the next 1-2 years.This article describes the history and development of ZWB clinical acute and emergency medicine in Germany and outlines future perspectives.

The use of a dedicated neurological triage system improves process times and resource utilization: a prospective observational study from an interdisciplinary emergency department

Background

Patients with neurological symptoms have been contributing to the increasing rates of emergency department (ED) utilization in recent years. Existing triage systems represent neurological symptoms rather crudely, neglecting subtler but relevant aspects like temporal evolution or associated symptoms. A designated neurological triage system could positively impact patient safety by identifying patients with urgent need for medical attention and prevent inadequate utilization of ED and hospital resources.

Methods

We compared basic demographic information, chief complaint/presenting symptom, door-to-doctor time and length of stay (LOS) as well as utilization of ED resources of patients presenting with neurological symptoms or complaints during a one-month period before as well as after the introduction of the Heidelberg Neurological Triage System (HEINTS) in our interdisciplinary ED. In a second step, we compared diagnostic and treatment processes for both time periods according to assigned acuity.

Results

During the two assessment periods, 299 and 300 patients were evaluated by a neurologist, respectively. While demographic features were similar for both groups, overall LOS (p < 0.001) was significantly shorter, while CT (p = 0.023), laboratory examinations (p = 0.006), ECG (p = 0.011) and consultations (p = 0.004) were performed significantly less often when assessing with HEINTS. When considering acuity, an epileptic seizure was less frequently evaluated as acute with HEINTS than in the pre-HEINTS phase (p = 0.002), while vertigo patients were significantly more often rated as acute with HEINTS (p < 0.001). In all cases rated as acute, door-to-doctor-time (DDT) decreased from 41.0 min to 17.7 min (p < 0.001), and treatment duration decreased from 304.3 min to 149.4 min (p < 0.001) after introduction of HEINTS triage.

Conclusion

A dedicated triage system for patients with neurological complaints reduces DDT, LOS and ED resource utilization, thereby improving ED diagnostic and treatment processes.

[Patients with chronic diseases in emergency rooms in Germany : Cross-sectional analysis of consultations, reasons for use, and discharge diagnosis]

BACKGROUND

The number of patients in emergency rooms without a medical emergency is increasing. Outpatient services for mutual support and relief between the in-patient and out-patient sector are not yet fully established.

AIM OF THE WORK

The aim was to determine the extent to which patients in emergency rooms have real medical emergencies by comparing patients with at least two and those with a maximum of one chronic illness. An additional aim was to identify factors influencing the previous use of outpatient structures.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study participants included emergency room patients from the cross-sectional study "PiNo-Nord." All persons in five emergency rooms in northern Germany between October 2015 and July 2016 who were not treated as "immediate" or "very urgent" were interviewed. An exploratory data analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed.

RESULTS

The 293 patients with ≥2 chronic diseases were just as often a medical emergency compared to the 847 patients with a maximum of 1 chronic disease. The most frequent occasions for consultation were musculoskeletal trauma (33%, n = 293 vs. 42%, n = 847) or trauma of the skin (11%, n = 293 vs. 13%, n = 847). In both groups, the general practitioner or specialist caregiver, as well as diagnostic or treatment options, rarely played a role in visiting the emergency department. The strongest predictors of previous outpatient treatment were the duration of the appeal in the last six months, a high subjective treatment urgency, the presence of at least two chronic conditions, and a consultation event concerning the musculoskeletal injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

In both patient groups, no evidence of unnecessary visits to the emergency room was found. For the most part, outpatient structures are used in advance and the emergency department is only visited in the event of an actual medical emergency.

Patients Attending Emergency Departments

BACKGROUND

The number of patients in emergency departments has risen steadily in recent years, with a particular increase in patients not requiring urgent treatment. The aim of this study is to characterize this group of patients with respect to their sociodemographic features, health status, and reasons for attending an emergency department.

METHODS

PiNo Nord is a cross-sectional observational study representing two full working weeks in five different hospitals. Patients were questioned in personal interviews, and medical diagnoses were documented. The data were analyzed with multivariate logistic regressions in mixed multilevel models. Predictors for the subjectively perceived treatment urgency were identified by stepwise backward selection.

RESULTS

The 1175 patients questioned had an average age of 41.8 years and 52.9% were male. 54.7% said the degree of their treatment urgency was low. 41.3% had visited the emergency department on their own initiative, 17.0% on the advice or referral of their primary care physician, and 8.0% on the advice or referral of a specialist. The strongest predictors for low subjective treatment urgency were musculoskeletal trauma (odds ratio [OR] 2.18), skin conditions (OR 2.15), and the momentary unavailability of a primary care physician (OR 1.70).

CONCLUSION

More than half of the patients do not think their condition requires urgent treatment and thus do not meet the definition of a medical emergency. Patients' reasons for visiting the emergency department are varied; aside from the treatment urgency of the health condition itself, the reason may lie in perceived structural circumstances and individual preferences.

[Future of emergency medicine in Germany 2.0]

In 2003 an article on the future of prehospital emergency medicine in Germany was published in the journal Der Anaesthesist. Emergency medicine in Germany, which at that time was almost exclusively defined as prehospital emergency rescue, has evolved and now in-hospital domains have increasingly moved into the focus. At that time, the primary goal was to connect prehospital management with a smooth transition to hospital admission and further care in the hospital and to further optimize the rescue chain from the actual emergency through to causative treatment. Now after 15 years, the authors have critically assessed the development postulated in 2003 and reevaluated it. Which aspects could be developed further and become firmly established, what is still open and which questions in preclinical and clinical emergency treatment of the population will occupy us in the coming 15 years? With a critical eye to the past, the present contribution aims to capture the essential and new topics and open questions and provide a fresh perspective for the future of emergency medicine. Regulation at the state level or even lower levels of government often stand in contrast to more sweeping and economically effective approaches at the federal level. Prehospital emergency medicine in Germany is on the whole well-positioned with respect to facilities and personnel; however, as far as the economic situation and the utilization of available systems are concerned, there is still substantial room for improvement.

[Development of ground-based physician-staffed emergency missions in the city of Leipzig from 2003 to 2013]

BACKGROUND

The annual number of physician-based emergency missions reported is continuously increasing. Data from large cities concerning this development over long periods is sparse.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this retrospective study the charts of all ground-based physician-staffed emergency missions in the city of Leipzig for the first quarters of 2003 and 2013 were analyzed. Patient characteristics, injury and illness severities, mission location, hospital admission rate, as well as emergency interventions were collated. The emergency mission rate was calculated as rescue missions per 1000 inhabitants per year.

RESULTS

The number of physician-staffed emergency missions increased by approximately 24% between 2003 and 2013 (6030 vs. 7470, respectively). The emergency mission rate was 48 vs. 58 in the 2 study periods. The median patient age increased from 66 to 70 years. The number of geriatric patients (age ≥ 85 years: n = 650 (11%) vs. n = 1161 (16%), p < 0.01) also increased. The corresponding number of emergency missions in nursing homes showed a fourfold (n = 175, 3% vs. n = 750, 10%, p < 0.01). The percentage of hospital admissions also increased (n = 3049, 51% vs. n = 4738, 66%, p < 0.01). A change in patient distribution to level I hospitals was noticed (n = 1742, 29% vs. n = 3436, 46%, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the necessity for the high number of physician-staffed emergency missions should be verified, especially in the context of strained emergency healthcare resources. The basis of an optimized use of resources could be a better inclusion of alternative, especially ambulant, healthcare structures and the implementation of a structured emergency call questionnaire accompanied by a more efficient disposition of the operating resources, not least in view of the economic aspects. Taking the concentrated patient allocation to level 1 hospitals into consideration, there is a need for optimized patient distribution strategies to minimize the overload of individual institutions and thereby improve the general quality of care at the interface between preclinical and clinical emergency medicine.