Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38486156›Full record

ArticleBMC emergency medicine2024

Telephone triage and dispatch of ambulances to patients with suspected and verified acute stroke - a descriptive study.

Bjørn Jamtli, Maren Ranhoff Hov, Trine Møgster Jørgensen, Jo Kramer-Johansen, Hege Ihle-Hansen, Else Charlotte Sandset, Håvard Wahl Kongsgård, Camilla Hardeland

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
5.8field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

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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 at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Bjørn JamtliFaculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway. Bjorn.Jamtli@helsedir.no.
Maren Ranhoff HovFaculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
Trine Møgster JørgensenFaculty of Health Sciences, Department for Prehospital Emergency Medicine, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
Jo Kramer-JohansenAir Ambulance department, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Hege Ihle-HansenDepartment of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Else Charlotte SandsetDepartment of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Håvard Wahl KongsgårdNorwegian Directorate of Health, Norwegian Patient Registry, Oslo, Norway.
Camilla HardelandFaculty of Health and Welfare, Østfold University College, Fredrikstad, Norway.
Oslo University Hospital · NONational Hospital · INNorwegian Directorate of Health · NOOsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University · NOStiftelsen Norsk Luftambulanse · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesIn this study we aimed to explore EMCC triage of suspected and confirmed stroke patients to gain more knowledge about the initial phase of the acute stroke response chain. Accurate dispatch at the Emergency Medical Communication Center (EMCC) is crucial for optimal resource utilization in the prehospital service, and early identification of acute stroke is known to improve patient outcome. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe conducted a descriptive retrospective study based on data from the Emergency Department and EMCC records at a comprehensive stroke center in Oslo, Norway, during a six-month period (2019-2020). Patients dispatched with EMCC stroke criteria and/or discharged with a stroke diagnosis were included. We identified EMCC true positive, false positive and false negative stroke patients and estimated EMCC stroke sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). Furthermore, we analyzed prehospital time intervals and identified patient destinations to gain knowledge on ambulance services assessments.

resultsWe included 1298 patients. EMCC stroke sensitivity was 77% (95% CI: 72 - 82%), and PPV was 16% (95% CI: 14 - 18%). EMCC false negative stroke patients experienced an increased median prehospital delay of 11 min (p < 0.001). Upon arrival at the scene, 68% of the EMCC false negative patients were identified as suspected stroke cases by the ambulance services. Similarly, 68% of the false positive stroke patients were either referred to a GP, out-of-hours GP acute clinic, local hospitals or left at the scene by the ambulance services, indicating that no obvious stroke symptoms were identified by ambulance personnel upon arrival at the scene.

conclusionsThis study reveals a high EMCC stroke sensitivity and an extensive number of false positive stroke dispatches. By comparing the assessments made by both the EMCC and the ambulance service, we have identified specific patient groups that should be the focus for future research efforts aimed at improving the sensitivity and specificity of stroke recognition in the EMCC.

Indexed as

AmbulancesStrokeHumansRetrospective StudiesTelephoneTriageEmergency callsEmergency medical communication centerEmergency medical dispatchEmergency medical servicesPrehospital carePrehospital stroke managementStroke pathwayTriage

Identifiers

PMID38486156
PMCPMC10941420
OpenAlexW4392817979

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.