title: Epidemiology of non-transported emergency medical services calls in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiology of non- transported emergency medical services (EMS) calls within the EMS system at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to identify factors that contributes to non-transport of patients by EMS provider, and to recommend suggestions for reduction in number of non-transported calls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 1390 patient care reports (PCR) of non-transported cases responded to, and documented by the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) emergency medical technicians (EMTs). All PCRs of non-transported cases from 10 EMS stations, in 3 consecutive months were examined. The SRCA EMTs management in Riyadh allocated all non-transported PCRs for 3 months (March-May 2014). Constructive data that includes patients demographics, scene characteristics, trip and timing information, length of stay, clinical and assessment data, and physician contact, or presence status were extracted from those PCRs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five percent of calls made during the study period were reported as non-transported calls. Seventy percent of non-transported calls were related to refusal by patient. Approximately 22.4% of non-transported calls were canceled by dispatch. Approximately 50% of non-transported patient were in the young age group (16-30 years). In 26% of non-transported calls, the field time was restricted to 15 minutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half of the non-transported emergency calls were reported as refused by patient/relative, while approximately one quarter were reported as  cancelled calls.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medical Services Department, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz College of Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. dalrazeeni@ksu.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Daifallah M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Alrazeeni
authors.forename: Sikender A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: Abdulmajeed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mobrad
authors.forename: Mazen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Ghamdi
authors.forename: Nabeel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abdulqader
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Gadgab
authors.forename: Majed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Qahtani
authors.forename: Bader
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Al Khaldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology