Pre-hospital coronary care: review of a system in its fifth year.
The present "coronary" ambulance service in Sydney is poorly utilized, covers a small fraction of the city's population and operates at a cost which is less than 0-25% of the hospital care of patients admitted with suspected cardiac emergencies. A survey suggests that such a service could with benefit be replaced by a general emergency ambulance service, staffed by well trained paramedical personnel, strategically located throughout the city and responding to all emergency calls.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003327:Coronary Disease; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004630:Emergencies; D005194:Family Practice; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009026:Mortality; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D012151:Resuscitation; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000401:mortality