European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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There is only limited information on patient satisfaction with emergency medical services (EMS). The aim of this multicentre survey was to evaluate patient satisfaction in five out-of-hospital physician-based EMS in Austria and Switzerland. ⋯ Patient satisfaction in out-of-hospital physician-based EMS is generally high. There is room for improvement in areas such as the social skills of dispatchers and EMS-team members and the comfort of the patients during transport. A checklist should be developed for basic articles that patients should take along to hospital and for questions on responsibilities for children, dependent people or pets.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: a multicentre cohort study.
The aim of this study was to describe the presentation of patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) and identify factors contributing toward misdiagnosis. ⋯ The classical signs and symptoms or rAAA are not always present and patients frequently show additional features that may confound the diagnosis. A high level of suspicion should be adopted for rAAA alongside a low threshold for immediate computed tomography. Further research is required to develop an objective clinical risk score or predictive tool for characterizing patients at risk.