Medical emergencies on a medium-sized urban university campus with collegiate-based EMS

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to identify the types and frequency of acute medical events at a university with a collegiate-based emergency medical services (CBEMS) agency. Participants: Patients who requested assistance from the studied CBEMS agency, which provides emergency medical services coverage at a medium-sized urban university. Methods: This retrospective chart review examined requests for emergency service from August 2010-July 2017. Data abstracted include the type of medical event, frequency, call times/dates, and locations of reported medical events. Results: The studied agency received an average 889.4 (SD +/−68.6 calls) per year with the most common falling under the categories of “Substance Abuse” (231.7 calls/year, SD +/−15.7) and “Minor Trauma” (207.1 calls/year, SD+/−37.8). Most requests for acute medical attention occurred between the hours of 1800–0600 on Fridays and Saturdays. Implications/Conclusions: These results suggest that universities can potentially predict patterns and prepare for the types of acute medical issues that occur on campus.

Keywords:

• College campus
• collegiate-based EMS
• emergency medical services
• medical emergencies

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the student volunteers of GERMS, who dedicate many hours to serve their university community

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States.