Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Accuracy of dispatch and prehospital triage performance in poisonings – A retrospective study from northern Finland
Authors' conclusion
Dispatch centres seem to suspect poisonings fairly accurately. Poisonings unrecognized by EMS providers may be linked with intravenous fluid resuscitation and decreased patient consciousness. Overtriage appears to resolve somewhat from dispatch to transport.
Study context
- Population
- EMS-transported patients suspected as poisonings by dispatch or diagnosed with poisoning in hospital, Northern Finland, June 2015–June 2017
- Participants
- 1,668 poisoning-related EMS missions
- Exposure
- Dispatch vs Transport
- Outcome
- Dispatch centre and EMS provider performance in recognising poisoning, and factors contributing to recognition
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Recognition of poisoning
| Group | Sensitivity | Specificity |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch | 79.9% (95% CI 76.7-82.9) | 98.9% (95% CI 98.9-99.0) |
Dispatch
Sensitivity79.9% (95% CI 76.7-82.9)
Specificity98.9% (95% CI 98.9-99.0)
- Decreased state of consciousness as dispatch code associated with EMS transport providers not recognising poisoning
- OR 7.18 (1.90-27.05) (95% CI)
- IV fluid resuscitation associated with EMS transport providers not recognising poisoning
- OR 6.58 (1.34-32.37) (95% CI)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Dispatch | Transport |
|---|---|---|
| Overtriage rate | 33.6% (95% CI 28.6–39.2) | 17.8% (95% CI 13.9–22.6) |
Overtriage rate
- Overtriage significantly higher for dispatch vs transport
Safety
- No fatal poisonings in the study population
Original publication
Accuracy of dispatch and prehospital triage performance in poisonings – A retrospective study from northern Finland. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 12 October 2022. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →