| Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics and emergency response capabilities of pre-hospital emergency care in Wuhu city. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted utilizing data from 62,649 pre-hospital emergency cases recorded in Wuhu City's 120 Command and Dispatch System between September 2020 and August 2023. Epidemiological analysis was performed on the patients'gender,age,peak consultation periods, regional distribution, and disease spectrum.The Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to compare the variations in pre-hospital emergency response times across different temporal periods and geographical regions. Results During the research period, the number of pre-hospital emergency calls in Wuhu City increased year by year. Among 62,649 patients, the ratio of males to females was 1.25:1, and the main affected population was those aged 51-60, accounting for 16.44%. The daily peak of emergency calls occurred from 07∶00 to 10∶59, and a secondary peak was formed from 17∶00 to 20∶59. In terms of month distribution, the number of cases was the highest in December, July, and August. The number of patients was the highest in summer, accounting for 26.76%. The emergency vehicle dispatch was mainly concentrated in Jinghu District, Yijiang District, and the eastern area of Jiujiang District. The top seven disease spectra were trauma, neurological diseases, symptom and sign diseases, circulatory system diseases, digestive system diseases, respiratory system diseases, and poisoning. Among the top seven disease spectra, there was a statistical difference in the composition of males and females (P<0.05). During this period, the pre-hospital emergency response time in Wuhu City was 14.48 (10.67, 20.52) minutes, showing a year-on-year increase trend. The differences in each time period were statistically significant (H=55.098, P<0.001). Jinghu District had the shortest pre-hospital emergency response time of 12.48 (9.30, 16.82) minutes; the Jiujiang district north of the Yangtze River area had the longest time of 32.85 (24.13, 42.12) minutes, and the overall difference among all regions was significant (H=10,162.370, P<0.001). The comparison of pre-hospital emergency response times in different time periods and different regions showed statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Conclusion During the research period, the demand for pre-hospital emergency care in Wuhu City continued to rise. The distribution showed two peaks in the morning and evening every day. Summer was the peak season. The ambulance dispatch was concentrated in the urban area. The diseases were mainly trauma and neurological disorders. The response time for pre-hospital emergency care increased year by year, and the time in the suburban areas of the city was significantly longer than that in the urban area. The emergency center should base on the above characteristics to rationally allocate medical resources in order to improve the pre-hospital emergency care service capacity. |
