Spectrum and effectiveness of emergency care by surgeons acting as rescue unit surgeons in a large city

: From 1.1. 1985 to 31. 12. 1990 n = 10,569 emergency cases were prospectively documented. The aim of the study was to evaluate, whether surgeons on a mobile emergency care and rescue unit were able to treat surgical and non-surgical emergencies sufficiently during the prehospital period. 16.8% of the patients were trauma patients while 47% suffered from medical disorders, e.g. myocardial infarction (12%), other cardiocirculatory disorders (7%) and acute opiate and multidrug poisoning (16%). Additionally, other problems out of the broad spectrum of emergency medicine such as disorders from pediatrics, neurology/neurosurgery, gynecology, toxicology, pulmonology, endocrinology etc. had to be solved. More than 50% suffered from life-threatening emergencies, 5.6% required cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, 45% of which were primarily successful. In-field deaths where emergency treatment was not successful occurred in 3.2%. The mortality rate during transport to the next available hospital was 0.1%. It can be concluded from the study that well trained surgeons are very capable to perform high efficient in-field emergency treatment for various disorders.