Survey of the usage of ambulances and vehicle configuration in Fujian province

ZHANG Yujie; CHEN Bing; LIN Caijing; ZHU Pengli; KE Jun

doi:10.13919/j.issn.2095-6274.2016.07.003

Abstract：Objective To investigate the usage of ambulances and vehicle configuration in Fujian, and explore restraining factors and methods to solve the problems. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 9 emergency centers distributed in Fujian province and 97 emergency departments of provincial level, municipal level, and county level under the jurisdiction of Fujian province was conducted by self-designed questionnaires from 2013 to 2014. Results The difference of ratios of ambulances used less than 10 years in hospitals among provincial level, municipal level and county level was significant(P<0.05). The ratio of ambulances used less than 10 years in county-level hospitals was higher than that of municipal-level hospitals, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference of constituent ratios of ambulances types in hospitals among provincial level, municipal level, and county level was significant (P<0.05). Types of ambulances were compared between hospitals of municipal level, and county level (P<0.001). There were more provincial hospitals equipped with electrocardiograph (P=0.005), infusion pump (χ 2=22.697,P<0.001) and micro pump (P<0.001) in the ward-type ambulances compared with hospitals of municipal level, and provincial level hospitals equipped with more electrocardiographs (P=0.003) compared with county level hospitals. There were more trachea cannulas (χ 2=12.595,P<0.001), pulse oximeter (χ 2=7.319,P=0.007), glucometer (χ 2=8.860,P=0.003) and infusion pump (χ 2=80.126, P<0.001) in municipal level hospitals than in county level hospitals. Conclusions The service life of ambulance in municipal level hospitals was too long, which may bring about potential safety hazard. And the vehicle configuration of the ambulances in county level hospitals is needed to be enhanced, which needs the authorities to search for appropriate methods to solve the problems.