Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42482182›Full record

ArticleBMC emergency medicine2026

Cancellation case analysis of physician-staffed rapid response car activities during off-hours in the central region of Saitama prefecture, Japan: a retrospective study.

Kaoru Ogawa, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Yoshihisa Shirayama, Motohiro Tsuboi, Koichi Yasaka, Shigemasa Taguchi, Miyoko Okamoto, Kazuya Kiyota, Motoyuki Yuasa

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Kaoru OgawaDepartment of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
Ishtiaq AhmadDepartment of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan. ahmad@juntendo.ac.jp.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0463-847X
Yoshihisa ShirayamaDepartment of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
Motohiro TsuboiAltitude Emergency and Critical Care Medical, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan.
Koichi YasakaAltitude Emergency and Critical Care Medical, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan.
Shigemasa TaguchiAltitude Emergency and Critical Care Medical, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan.
Miyoko OkamotoDepartment of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
Kazuya KiyotaAltitude Emergency and Critical Care Medical, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan.
Motoyuki YuasaDepartment of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAmong hospitals in the central Saitama Prefecture, only the Saitama Red Cross Hospital (SRCH) provides physician-staffed rapid response car (RRC) services during off-hours (weekday night-time, weekends, and public holidays). During off-hours, concentrated dispatch requests increase the operational and financial burden, particularly when cancellations occur. Furthermore, research on RRC cancellation in the Japanese urban emergency medical system remains limited. By examining the epidemiological characteristics of RRC cancellation, this study aimed to optimise RRC operations and enhance emergency medical response efficiency.

methodsThis retrospective study analysed RRC dispatches from SRCH between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2023, focusing on cases classified as 'cancelled' or 'treated'. Variables including age, disease type, distance from the hospital, request source, and time of request were compared using chi-square test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of cancellation.

resultsOf 4,005 dispatches, 1,091 were cancelled, and 2,417 were treated; 497 cases were excluded because of incomplete data. Cancellations were significantly associated with patients aged ≥ 65 years, requests initiated by the Command Centre, and greater distance from the hospital. Respiratory failure and anaphylactic shock had the highest cancellation rates.

conclusionsImproving dispatch strategies can enhance pre-hospital emergency care, ensuring timely medical attention for critical patients, while reducing operational and financial strain on medical institutions.

Indexed as

After-Hours CareHospital Rapid Response TeamPhysiciansAgedFemaleHumansJapanMaleRetrospective StudiesAnaphylactic shockDispatch cancellationPre-hospital emergency careRapid response carRespiratory failureSaitama prefecture

Identifiers

PMID42482182
PMCPMC13682099

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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.