Table 1.
Prehospital COVID-19 patients who were discharged at the scene or transported to the hospital
| Variable | Discharged at the scene (n=586) | Transported to the hospital (n=700) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | n=1 286 | 46.59 (18.47) | 53.79 (19.4) | <0.001 |
| Male | n=1 286 | 280 (47.8%) | 325 (46.4%) | 0.628 |
| Days from symptom onset | 6 (4-8) | 7 (5-9) | 0.018 | |
| Dispatch code | ||||
| Dyspnea | 291 (49.7%) | 365 (52.1%) | 0.375 | |
| Malaise | 185 (31.6%) | 179 (25.6%) | 0.017 | |
| Chest pain | 26 (4.4%) | 52 (7.4%) | 0.025 | |
| Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea | 20 (3.4%) | 28 (4.0%) | 0.580 | |
| High priority used | 69 (11.8%) | 151 (21.6%) | <0.001 | |
| COVID-19 symptoms | n= 1286 | |||
| Fever >38.0°C | 170 (29.0%) | 292 (41.7%) | <0.001 | |
| Dyspnea | 265 (45.2%) | 411 (58.7%) | <0.001 | |
| Fatigue | 185 (31.6%) | 354 (50.6%) | <0.001 | |
| Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea | 126 (21.5%) | 171 (24.4%) | 0.215 | |
| Cough | 177 (30.2%) | 247 ( 35.3%) | 0.054 | |
| Congestion or runny nose | 76 (13.0%) | 48 (6.9%) | <0.001 | |
| Loss of taste and smell | 17 (2.9%) | 21 (3.0%) | 1 | |
| Prehospital interventions | n= 1286 | |||
| Supplemental oxygen | 1 (0.2%) | 158 (22.6%) | <.001 | |
| Inhaled medication | 1 (0.2%) | 5 (0.7%) | 0.229 | |
| Intravenous medication | 2 (0.3%) | 6 (0.9%) | 0.303 | |
| EMS phycisian consulted | 60 (10.2%) | 108 (15.4%) | 0.008 | |
| EMS phycisian on-scene | 1 (0.2%) | 3 (0.4%) | 0.630 | |
| National Early Warning Score (NEWS) | n=1 249 | |||
| 0-2 | 381 (67.6%) | 239 (34.9%) | <.001 | |
| 3-4 | 138 (24.5%) | 171 (25.0%) | 0,84 | |
| 5-6 | 38 (6.7%) | 105 (15.3%) | <.001 | |
| >7 | 7 (1.2%) | 170 (24.8%) | <.001 | |
| Transport code | n= 1286 | |||
| Dyspnea | n/a | 330 (47.1%) | n/a | |
| Malaise | n/a | 232 (33.1%) | n/a | |
| Chest pain | n/a | 29 (4.1%) | n/a | |
| Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea | n/a | 13 (1.9%) | n/a | |
| High priority used | n/a | 48 (6.9%) | n/a | |
| Other means of transport used | n/a | 42 (6.0%) | n/a | |
| Reason for non-conveyance | n= 1286 | |||
| Emergency care or transport not required | 548 (93.5%) | n/a | n/a | |
| Patient treated on the scene | 20 (3.4%) | n/a | n/a | |
| Patient refusal | 16 (2.7%) | n/a | n/a | |
| New EMS call within 10 days | n= 1286 | |||
| New EMS call | 138 (23.5%) | 62 (8.9%) | <.001 | |
| New EMS call leading to ambulance transport | 93 (15.9%) | 40 (5.7%) | <.001 | |
EMS Emergency medical services
Data are presented as mean (standard deviation), mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range), or n (%) where applicable