ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Out-of-hospital medical emergency services are defined as a functional organization that performs a set of sequential human and material activities. The objective of this study was to compare the mortality of patients attended by the out-of-hospital medical emergency services in 2 neighboring Spanish regions with different models of healthcare transport assistance for emergency care. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective observational cohort study, done between June 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008 in 2 regions of Gipuzkoa, Alto Deba (AD) and Bajo Deba (BD). The study variables were age, sex and place of exposure (AD/BD), heart rate, blood pressure, initial reason for the call defined by the European Resuscitation Council, unconsciousness and digestive bleeding. 3452 subjects were analyzed. RESULTS: The risk of in situ mortality in BD was 1.31 times higher than in AD (P=.050), that of hospital mortality in BD was 0.71 times lower than in AD (P=.011) and the risk of mortality at one year between counties and the combined mortality (in situ+hospital) did not contribute significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality (in situ+in-hospital, and one year aftercare) of patients treated by the out-of-hospital emergency medical services in AD (non-medicalized healthcare transport model) was similar to that of the BD region (mixed healthcare transport model).
