Table 1 Patient and hospital characteristics of the cases requesting transfer arrangements
Characteristics | Number of patients (%) |
|---|---|
Sex (n = 8288) | |
Male | 6164 (74.37) |
Female | 2124 (25.63) |
Age (n = 10,222) | |
19–44 yr | 1420 (13.89) |
45–59 yr | 2503 (24.49) |
60–69 yr | 1959 (19.16) |
70–79 yr | 2273 (22.24) |
≥ 80 yr | 2067 (20.22) |
Caregiver in ED (n = 10,131) | |
Absent | 1175 (11.60) |
Present | 8956 (88.40) |
Requesting time (n = 9995) | |
9 am–6 pm | 3924 (39.26) |
6 pm–9 am | 6071 (60.74) |
Consciousness level (n = 9417) | |
Alert | 6562 (69.68) |
Not alert (CVPUa) | 2855 (30.32) |
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg (n = 6205) | |
111–219 | 3738 (60.24) |
101–110 | 761 (12.26) |
91–100 | 695 (11.20) |
0–90 or ≥ 220 | 1011 (16.29) |
Need for emergency surgery/procedure (n = 10,222) | |
No | 6949 (67.98) |
Yes | 3273 (32.02) |
Reason for transfer (n = 10,222) | |
Shortage of general beds | 245 (2.40) |
Shortage of ICU beds | 3148 (30.80) |
Shortage of isolation/psychiatric beds | 299 (2.93) |
Shortage of medical staff | 6112 (59.79) |
Shortage of medical equipment/facility | 227 (2.22) |
Need for special treatmentb | 90 (0.88) |
Others | 101 (0.99) |
Region of sending hospital (n = 10,222) | |
Metropolitan city | 7594 (74.29) |
Province | 2628 (25.71) |
Service level I EDc (n = 10,222) | |
No | 8483 (82.99) |
Yes | 1739 (17.01) |
Total beds in sending hospital (n = 10,025) | |
< 300 | 2841 (28.34) |
300–599 | 2738 (27.31) |
600–799 | 1964 (19.59) |
800–999 | 1338 (13.35) |
≥ 1000 | 1144 (11.41) |
Number of hospitals contacted prior to determination (n = 10,222) | |
0–5 | 6285 (61.49) |
≥ 6 | 3937 (38.51) |
Result of arrangement by NEMSR (n = 10,222) | |
Arranged | 8297 (81.17) |
Not arranged | 1925 (18.83) |
Region of receiving hospital (n = 6504) | |
Metropolitan city | 5454 (83.86) |
Province | 1050 (16.14) |
Total beds in receiving hospital (n = 6460) | |
< 300 | 555 (8.59) |
300–599 | 1436 (22.23) |
600–799 | 1777 (27.51) |
800–999 | 1612 (24.95) |
≥ 1000 | 1080 (16.72) |
Disposition after transfer (n = 6526) | |
Hospitalization | 3950 (60.53) |
Emergency room | 2252 (34.51) |
Re-transfer | 106 (1.62) |
Home | 131 (2.01) |
Others | 87 (1.33) |