Table 2.
Treatment provided by AV paramedics
| Total (n=1572) |
Escalation of care (n=22) |
No escalation of care (n=1550) |
P value (escalation vs no escalation) | |
| Respiratory support, n(%) | ||||
| Bag-valve-mask applied | 1 (0.1) | 1 (4.5) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| Oxygen delivery | ||||
| Nasal cannulae | 46 (2.9) | 4 (18.2) | 42 (2.7) | <0.001 |
| Nebuliser mask | 258 (16.4) | 10 (45.5) | 248 (16) | <0.001 |
| Oxygen mask | 48 (3.1) | 0 (0) | 48 (3.1) | 0.40 |
| Non-rebreather mask | 8 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 8 (0.5) | 0.74 |
| Other oxygen therapy (not otherwise specified) |
2 (0.1) | 0 (0) | 2 (0.1) | 0.87 |
| Parenteral bronchodilator | ||||
| Epinephrine IM injection | 20 (1.3) | 20 (90.9) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| Epinephrine infusion | 4 (0.3) | 4 (18.2) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| Dexamethasone | ||||
| Intravenous injection | 25 (1.6) | 4 (18.2) | 21 (1.4) | <0.001 |
| Oral | 141 (9) | 11 (50) | 130 (8.4) | <0.001 |
| Inhaled bronchodilator | ||||
| Any inhaled bronchodilator | 946 (60.2) | 21 (95.5) | 925 (59.7) | <0.001 |
| Any Ipratropium bromide nebulisation | 453 (28.8) | 17 (77.3) | 436 (28.1) | <0.001 |
| Any salbutamol pMDI | 465 (29.6) | 3 (13.6) | 462 (29.8) | 0.10 |
| Any salbutamol nebulisation | 513 (32.6) | 20 (90.9) | 493 (31.8) | <0.001 |
| Single administration of inhaled salbutamol | 348 (22.1) | 3 (13.6) | 345 (22.3) | |
| Single administration of inhaled ipratropium bromide | 13 (0.8) | 1 (4.5) | 12 (0.8) | |
| Single administration of inhaled salbutamol and single administration of inhaled iptratropium bromide | 280 (17.8) | 6 (27.3) | 274 (17.7) | |
| Two administrations of inhaled salbutamol alone | 114 (7.3) | 1 (4.5) | 113 (7.3) | |
| Two administrations of inhaled salbutamol and at least one administration of ipratropium bromide | 112 (7.1) | 3 (13.6) | 109 (7) | |
| Three or more administrations of inhaled salbutamol alone | 31 (2.0) | 0 (0) | 31 (2) | |
| Three or more administrations of inhaled salbutamol and at least one administration of ipratropium bromide | 48 (3.1) | 7 (31.8) | 41 (2.6) | |
| Total instances of inhaled bronchodilator administration, median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) | 2 (1.8–4) | 1 (0–2) | <0.001 |
| Intravenous access | ||||
| Intravenous access attempt | 39 (2.5) | 7 (31.8) | 32 (2.1) | <0.001 |
| Successful intravenous attempt | 34 (2.2) | 7 (31.8) | 27 (1.7) | <0.001 |
No patients received any of: BiPAP, manual ventilation, mechanical ventilation, intravenous salbutamol infusion, IM dexamethasone.
AV, Ambulance Victoria; BiPAP, bi-level positive airway pressure; IM, intramuscular; pMDI, pressurised metered dose inhaler.