The financial impact of alcohol-related emergencies on a rural EMS system.
OBJECTIVE
Alcohol is a major factor in ambulance responses in rural Alaska; alcohol-related emergencies significantly increase the expense of operating an advanced life support ambulance service.


METHODS
A prospective analysis was performed on emergency medical responses one year, ending September 30, 1997. Data were collected from medical records, police documents, and court records.


METHODS
Each ambulance response was analyzed for the presence of alcohol. The departmental budget was reviewed to separate out fixed and variable costs. Between these analyses, a determination was made regarding the actual cost of all alcohol-related ambulance responses.


RESULTS
Six hundred eighty-one patients were included for study. Alcohol was a factor in one hundred ninety-one (28.0%) of these patients. The cost to the community for alcohol-related responses amounted to $81,503, representing 19.2% of the budget.


CONCLUSIONS
The cost to respond to alcohol-related emergencies represents a significant fraction of Ketchikan's total emergency medical budget.
Kriegsman
W
W
City of Ketchikan Fire Department, AK 99901, USA.
Anthes
W
W
D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D002017:Budgets; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics*