Epidemiological profile of emergency medical services in Japan: a population‐based descriptive study in 2016

Abstract

The aim of our study is to describe the characteristics of patients who use emergency medical services (EMS), EMS performance, and regional variations in Japan. Methods: We undertook a nationwide, population-based, descriptive review of anonymized ambulance transport records obtained from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency in Japan. All emergency patients transported to emergency medical institutions by EMS personnel from January to December 2016 were enrolled in this study, excluding patients who were not transported. Results: During the study period, 5,097,838 patients were transported to a hospital. Their median age was 69 years, 51.4% were male, and 56.5% were over 65 years old. Median durations from EMS call to EMS arrival on scene were similar among the regions, ranging from 7 to 9 min. However, the longest median duration from EMS call to hospital arrival was 38 min, and the shortest was 31 min across the regions. Among all patients, 350,865 (6.9%) were assessed as being in a severe condition, 14,410 (0.3%) were in very severe condition, and 74,780 (1.5%) were confirmed to be dead at the time of initial medical examination in the emergency department. Conclusions: We described the characteristics of emergency patients and EMS performance in Japan. This registry serves as a basis for providing relevant information to improve prehospital emergency medical systems.

Trends and outcomes of blunt renal trauma management: a nationwide cohort study in Japan

“…Third, because JTDB does not include data on TAE for renal injury and the failure of non-operative management, we could not assess these factors. Lastly, our results may not be fully applicable to other areas that have different healthcare systems, legislation, and age distribution of the population [21,32,33]. However, our results may be useful for improving trauma care in developed countries with an aging population.…”

Profile and Outcome of Victims of an Earthquake in an Aging Society: A Population-Based Descriptive Study of the Earthquake in Osaka, Japan, on June 18, 2018

“…In Japan, the usual time interval from ambulance call to arrival at the scene is about 8 min. 10 In the present study, the time interval from ambulance call to arrival at the scene was 8 min in the Toyono and the North and Middle Kawachi areas but 11 min in the Mishima and the Osaka city areas. The epicenter of this earthquake was located in the Mishima area, and that may have affected the time from ambulance call to arrival at the scene due to traffic congestion caused by road deformation and loss of traffic lights in that area.…”

Trends and outcomes of blunt renal trauma management: A nationwide cohort study in Japan

“…Lastly, our results may not be fully applicable to other areas that have different healthcare systems, legislation, and age distribution of population. 21,32,33 However, our results may be useful for improving trauma care in developed countries with an aging population.…”