TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - The effect of lights and sirens on critical care transport time JO - Journal of emergency medicine A1 - Jansson, Paul S. A1 - Richards, Jeremy B. A1 - Frakes, Michael A. A1 - Cohen, Jason E. A1 - Wilcox, Susan R. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: In the prehospital setting, the use of ambulance lights and sirens (L&S) has been found to result in minor decreases in transport times, but has not been studied in interfacility transportation. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the indications for L&S and the impact of L&S on transport times in interfacility critical care transport. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis using administrative data from a large, urban critical care transportation organization. The indications for L&S were assessed and the transport times with and without L&S were compared using distance matching for common transport routes. Median times were compared for temporal subgroups. RESULTS: L&S were used in 7.3% of transports and were most strongly associated with transport directly to the operating room (odds ratio 15.8; 95% confidence interval 6.32-39.50; p < 0.001). The timing of the transport was not associated with L&S use. For all transports, there was a significant decrease in the transport time using L&S, with a median of 8 min saved, corresponding to 19.5% of the overall transportation time without L&S (33 vs. 41 min; p < 0.001). The reduction in transport times was consistent across all temporal subgroups, with a greater time reduction during rush hour transports. CONCLUSIONS: The use of L&S during interfacility critical care transport was associated with a statistically significant time reduction in this urban, single-system retrospective analysis. Although the use of L&S was not associated with rush-hour transports, the greatest time reduction was associated with L&S transport during these hours.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0736-4679 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.06.066 ID - ref1 ER -