Spotlight on Research

Internationally, demand for emergency medical services (EMS) has changed, with increased activity often driven by patients with non-urgent medical conditions and those not requiring medical intervention from paramedics. These changing demands have led to increased referral pathways and higher numbers of patients being managed without transportation to hospital following EMS attendance. EMS exposure to younger patients is infrequent so the decision to not convey provides specific challenges in relation to assessment and safety. Non-transport rates range from 13–46% in the child population, but the safety of non-transport decisions has not been well explored.

In this retrospective data linkage study, the authors describe the characteristics and outcomes of non-transported children (aged <18 years) in Victoria, Australia between January 2015 and June 2019. Patients were linked to emergency departent (ED), hospital admission and death records. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with EMS recontact, ED presentation, hospital admission and an adverse event within 48 hours of the initial emergency call.