Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35170028›Full record

ArticleActa anaesthesiologica Scandinavica2022

Ambulance crew-initiated non-conveyance in the Helsinki EMS system-A retrospective cohort study.

Kari Heinonen, Tuukka Puolakka, Heli Salmi, James Boyd, Mia Laiho, Kari Porthan, Heini Harve-Rytsälä, Markku Kuisma

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. "I just needed help": a qualitative study of patients' experiences with a single responder ambulance.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Characteristics and causes in patients presenting with convulsions in the Danish prehospital setting.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
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  9. An analysis of ambulance re-contacts after non-conveyance: a retrospective cohort study in the Netherlands.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025
    Article
  10. Observational
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  18. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kari HeinonenDepartment of Emergency Medicine & Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-9824-8941
Tuukka PuolakkaDepartment of Emergency Medicine & Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-3748-1202
Heli SalmiDepartment of Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-0565-0593
James BoydDepartment of Emergency Medicine & Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Mia LaihoParliament of Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
Kari PorthanHelsinki City Rescue Department, Helsinki, Finland.
Heini Harve-RytsäläDepartment of Emergency Medicine & Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-0104-4553
Markku KuismaDepartment of Emergency Medicine & Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-3057-6524

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAmbulance patients are usually transported to the hospital in the emergency medical service (EMS) system. The aim of this study was to describe the non-conveyance practice in the Helsinki EMS system and to report mortality following non-conveyance decisions.

methodsAll prehospital patients ≥16 years attended by the EMS but not transported to a hospital during 2013-2017 were included in the study. EMS mission- and patient-related factors were collected and examined in relation to patient death within 30 days of the EMS non-conveyance decision.

resultsThe EMS performed 324,207 missions with a patient during the study period. The patient was not transported in 95,909 (29.6%) missions; 72,233 missions met the study criteria. The patient mean age (standard deviation) was 59.5 (22.5) years; 55.5% of patients were female. The most common dispatch codes were malaise (15.0%), suspected decline in vital signs (14.0%), and falling over (12.9%). A total of 960 (1.3%) patients died within 30 days after the non-conveyance decision. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that mortality was associated with the patient's inability to walk (odds ratio 3.19, 95% confidence interval 2.67-3.80), ambulance dispatch due to shortness of breath (2.73, 2.27-3.27), decreased level of consciousness (2.72, 1.75-4.10), decreased blood oxygen saturation (2.64, 2.27-3.06), and abnormal systolic blood pressure (2.48, 1.79-3.37).

conclusionOne-third of EMS missions did not result in patient transport to the hospital. Thirty-day mortality was 1.3%. Abnormalities in multiple respiratory-related vital signs were associated with an increased likelihood of death within 30 days.

Indexed as

AmbulancesEmergency Medical ServicesFemaleHospitalsHumansMaleMiddle AgedOdds RatioRetrospective Studiesemergency medical servicesmortalitynon-conveyancepatient transport

Identifiers

PMID35170028
PMCPMC9544076

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.