Pre-hospital Emergency Response Time Index for Trauma Victims in Iran

Background: The most important basis of medical care consists of emergency care, especially that of pre-hospital type, and it plays a significant role in reducing deaths rate and trauma-induced disabilities. Objectives: This research addressed the response time index of providing pre-hospital emergency call services to trauma victims in Golestan province in 2020. Methods: This retrospective descriptive-analytical study was conducted on all the missions performed for trauma victims in Golestan pre-hospital emergency in 2020. The sampling was done as the census. The data were collected by referring to the existing systems in the pre-hospital emergency centers using a checklist based on the mission forms of the countrywide pre-hospital emergency. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics using parametric tests (such as t-test and Tukey’s test to compare the two groups). Results: Out of 9867 trauma victims transferred by Golestan pre-hospital emergency call service, 67.02% were men, 14.56% were women, and 18.43% were not registered by gender. The maximum mean age was related to the middle-aged group (38.86%) caused by traffic incidents. According to the international standard, the mean delay time was 01:11 m, the EMS response time for the central urban districts and the suburbs was 10:10 m and 12:00 m, the time of transfer to the central urban district and the suburb hospitals was 08:28 m and 17:28 m, the delivery time to the hospital was 7:14 m, the total mission time of the central urban district and the suburb bases was 1:01:25 h 1:30:20 h, and the mean response time for the trauma victims was 65.89%. Conclusions: The time indices of pre-hospital emergency missions in Golestan province are within the normal range of the standard time, and considering the effective role of pre-hospital emergency in reducing the mortality and disability of trauma victims, more attention should be paid to the structural and functional indices and management, especially the response and scene time.