Resource allocation for emergency teams in Danish Emergency Departments

Results Nineteen of twenty (95%) departments responded. Three departments were excluded due to incomplete data. All departments (n=16) received unselected critically ill patients, patients in cardiac arrest and trauma patients. In 16 (100%) departments there were a designated team that responded to cardiac arrest and trauma patients. Only 5 (31%) departments had access to a designated medical emergency team in the emergency department. The cardiac arrest teams consisted of median 6,2 (range 5-10) different personnel groups. Of these, 3 (range 1-6) were physicians with only 0,9 (range 0-2) being senior consultants. The other summoned personnel groups included emergency department nurses, nurse anaesthetists, bioanalysts and porters. The trauma teams consisted of median 9,3 (range 711) different personnel groups. Of these, 4,3 (range 2-6) were physicians where 2,6 (range 2-4) were senior consultants. The other summoned personnel groups included emergency department nurses, nurse anaesthetists, radiographers, bioanalysts, and porters. In 4 (25%) departments there were not access to a medical emergency team, and in 5 (31%) an ad hoc team was created by the emergency department personnel. In 2 (14%) departments a team was created by the attending emergency physician. The staffing of the medical emergency teams relied on patient specific diagnosis, symptoms and triage scores.