Risk factors related to unnecessary emergency medical services transport for pediatric patients

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated unnecessary emergency medical services (EMS) transport for pediatric patients depending on whether they received emergency department (ED) treatment after EMS transport. METHODS: Pediatric patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received treatment at the ED (ED treatment) or did not receive treatment at the ED (non-ED treatment). RESULTS: The non-ED treatment group comprised 65 of the total 794 patients. The elapsed time from scene to arrival at the ED was longer in the non-ED treatment group than in the ED treatment group. Weekdays as the days of EMS transport, ground falls rather than traffic accidents as the reason for non-disease-related symptoms, and no immobilization for prehospital treatment were risk factors for non-ED treatment in EMS-transported patients. Causes of not receiving ED treatment for the non-ED treatment group were the patient’s or caregiver’s decision (12%) and the doctor’s suggestion (88%). CONCLUSIONS: Weekdays rather than weekends, ground falls rather than traffic accidents, and no immobilization before hospital are risk factors for not receiving ED treatment. The most common cause of not receiving ED treatment is the doctor’s suggestion.