Four years' experience with South Africa's first mobile accident unit.
The mobile accident unit manned by medical staff is not a new concept, yet for a variety of reasons it has not been widely used. The first such service in South Africa was initiated by the author, and 4 years of successful duty have now been completed. Facts relating to our experience in this period are presented to illustrate the need for and the viability of such units. These facts and figures have been divided into 3 sections: incidents, patients and injuries, and treatment. The article is concluded with a discussion of the wider implications of using such a unit.
D000059:Accidents; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000368:Aged; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D013019:South Africa; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy