title: [Ambulance transportation time of obstetrical patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the time the ambulance needs to transfer women in labour, or immediately after delivery, from home to hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ambulance data from the 'Centrale Post Ambulancevervoer', region Amsterdam, were analysed over a period of one year (1992/1993).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 287 women who were transported during labour with urgency code A1 (critical condition) 244 (85%) arrived within 0.5 h in hospital, of 124 who were not in a critical condition (urgency code A2) 66 (53%) (chi 2 = 47.2; p < 0.00001). The average duration for A1 transport of the 51 women who were transferred immediately after delivery, was 32 min. Of those who went by ambulance with urgency code A2 (n = 86) the average duration was 37 min. For A1 transport the ambulance is legally bound to arrive within 15 min. In 7 women (2%) the transport time exceeded 15 min. This was not associated with time of day or distance to hospital. Factors that influenced the duration of ambulance transport included the allocated emergency code, the timing of transport in relation to parturition and the distance between the home and hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the municipality of Amsterdam transportation by ambulance of obstetrical patients from home to hospital can in most cases be realised within 0.5 h. The difference in average total time between A1 and A2 transport during labour is only 7 min, but the likelihood of arriving at the hospital within 0.5 h is much greater with A1 than with A2 transport.
authors.affiliation: Afd. Gynaecologie, Academisch Medisch Centrum, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Chardon
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Wildschut
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stolwijk
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Deckers
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Relyveld
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000552:Ambulances; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D009426:Netherlands; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014505:Urban Population
vernacular_title: Duur van ambulancevervoer van verloskundige patiënten.