Preclinical Pediatric Care by Emergency Physicians A Comparison of Trauma and Nontrauma Patients in a Population-Based Study in Austria

Objectives Fewer than 10% of emergency medical system (EMS) calls concern children and adolescents younger than 18 years. Studies have shown that the preclinical care of children differs from that of adults regarding assessment, interventions, and monitoring. The aims of this study were to describe the preclinical care and emergency transport of pediatric patients in Vorarlberg, Austria and to compare trauma and nontrauma cases. Methods This is a population-based study, analyzing medical records of EMS calls to children and adolescents. We received all patient records of EMS calls to children and adolescents younger than 18 years (n = 4390 in total) from the 2 local EMS providers, the Red Cross Vorarlberg and the Austrian Mountain Rescue Service (Christophorus 8 and Gallus 1) covering a study period of 7 years, from 2013 to 2019. The record data were extracted by automation with an in-house program and subsequently anonymized. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS Statistics. Results During the study period, 7.9% of all EMS calls concerned children and adolescents younger than 18 years. For our study, 3761 records were analyzed and 1270 trauma cases (33.8%) were identified. The most common injuries were injuries of the extremities and traumatic brain injury. The frequency of National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics Scores of 4 or higher was 17.7%, similar for all age groups and for trauma as well as nontrauma patients. Mean Glasgow Coma Scale scores were higher in the trauma group than in the nontrauma group (14.2 vs 11.2). In 62.9% of all patients, 1 or more vital parameters were documented. A majority of these values was in the pathologic range for the respective age group. The rate of pulsoxymetry monitoring during transport was low (42.1% in trauma and 30.3% in nontrauma patients) and decreased significantly with patient age. Moreover, while the placing of intravenous lines and monitoring during transport were significantly more frequent in trauma patients, the administration of medication or oxygen was significantly more frequent in nontrauma patients. Conclusions The pediatric population lacks assessments and monitoring in preclinical care, especially the youngest children and nontrauma patients, although emergency severity scores are similar.