TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Performance of an emergency road ambulance service in Bhutan: response time, utilization, and outcomes
JO  - Tropical medicine and infectious disease
A1  - Tshokey, Tshokey
A1  - Tshering, Ugyen
A1  - Lhazeen, Karma
A1  - Abrahamyan, Arpine
A1  - Timire, Collins
A1  - Gurung, Bikash
A1  - Subedi, Devi Charan
A1  - Wangdi, Kencho
A1  - Vilas, Victor Del Rio
A1  - Zachariah, Rony
SP  - e87
EP  - e87
VL  - 7
IS  - 6
N2  - BACKGROUND: An efficient ambulance service is a vital component of emergency medical services. We determined the emergency ambulance response and transport times and ambulance exit outcomes in Bhutan. <br><br>METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving real-time monitoring of emergency ambulance deployments managed by a central toll-free (112) hotline (20 October 2021 to 20 January 2022) was carried out. <br><br>RESULTS: Of 5092 ambulance deployments, 4291 (84%) were inter-facility transfers, and 801 (16%) were for emergencies. Of the latter, 703 (88%) were for non-pregnancy-related emergencies (i.e., medical, surgical, and accidents), while 98 (12%) were for pregnancy-related emergencies. The median ambulance response and patient transport times were 42 (IQR 3-271) and 41 (IQR 2-272) minutes, respectively. The median round-trip distance travelled by ambulances was 18 km (range 1-186 km). For ambulance exit outcomes that were pregnancy-related (n = 98), 89 (91%) reached the health facility successfully, 8 delivered prior to ambulance arrival at the scene or in the ambulance during transport, and 1 had no outcome record. For the remaining 703 non-pregnancy deployments, 29 (4.1%) deployments were deemed not required or refusals, and 656 (93.3%) reached the health facility successfully; 16 (2.3%) died before the ambulance's arrival at the scene, and 2 (0.3%) were not recorded. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This first countrywide real-time operational research showed acceptable ambulance exit outcomes. Improving ambulance response and transport times might reduce morbidities and mortalities further.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2414-6366
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7060087
ID  - ref1
ER  -