Yoshie Kubota1, Kohei Hasegawa2, Hirokazu Taguchi1, Tetsuhisa Kitamura3, Chika Nishiyama4, Taku Iwami5, Tatsuya Nishiuchi1, Atsushi Hiraide1. 1. Department of Acute Medicine Faculty of Medicine Kinki University Boston Massachusetts. 2. Department of Emergency Medicine Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts. 3. Department of Social and Environmental Medicine Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences Graduate School of Medicine Osaka University Osaka Japan. 4. Department of Critical Care Nursing School of Human Health Science Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University Health Service Kyoto Japan. 5. Kyoto University Health Service Kyoto Japan.
Abstract
Aim: Drug overdose is an important issue in emergency medicine. However, studies covering overdose patients transported by ambulance have not been sufficiently carried out. We attempted to clarify problems of suspected drug overdose patients transported by ambulance. Methods: This is a prospective population-based cohort study. Data were collected by emergency medical service crews in Osaka City, Japan, between January 1998 and December 2010. Results: Drug overdose cases increased annually from 1,136 in 1998 to 1,822 in 2010 (P < 0.0001 for trend). In these cases, the dominant age range was between 16 and 40 years and the age distribution did not change over time. The age of non-overdose cases increased (P < 0.0001 for trend), with patients aged ≥66 years becoming most common in recent years, reflecting the aging of society. Males comprised most non-overdose patients, but the percentage of females increased annually (P < 0.0001 in trend). Females comprised approximately 70% in overdose cases annually throughout the study period. The duration from the emergency call to the arrival at the hospital for overdose patients has increased markedly in recent years. It also takes more time to obtain acceptance from hospitals to care for patients of suspected overdose. Conclusion: The characteristics of drug overdose patients are clearly different from those of non-overdose patients. Recent trends of drug overdose patients indicate the accelerated burden on emergency medical services system.
Aim: Drug overdose is an important issue in emergency medicine. However, studies covering overdosepatients transported by ambulance have not been sufficiently carried out. We attempted to clarify problems of suspected drug overdosepatients transported by ambulance. Methods: This is a prospective population-based cohort study. Data were collected by emergency medical service crews in Osaka City, Japan, between January 1998 and December 2010. Results:Drug overdose cases increased annually from 1,136 in 1998 to 1,822 in 2010 (P < 0.0001 for trend). In these cases, the dominant age range was between 16 and 40 years and the age distribution did not change over time. The age of non-overdose cases increased (P < 0.0001 for trend), with patients aged ≥66 years becoming most common in recent years, reflecting the aging of society. Males comprised most non-overdosepatients, but the percentage of females increased annually (P < 0.0001 in trend). Females comprised approximately 70% in overdose cases annually throughout the study period. The duration from the emergency call to the arrival at the hospital for overdosepatients has increased markedly in recent years. It also takes more time to obtain acceptance from hospitals to care for patients of suspected overdose. Conclusion: The characteristics of drug overdosepatients are clearly different from those of non-overdosepatients. Recent trends of drug overdosepatients indicate the accelerated burden on emergency medical services system.
Entities:
Keywords:
Ambulance diversion; drug overdose; emergency medical services; hospital arrival time; transportation of patients
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