RAMİZ YAZICI, MURAT GENÇ
Comprehensive Medicine - 2024;16(3):167-173
INTRODUCTION: This study retrospectively evaluates Ankara Emergency Medical Services’ (EMS) prehospital responses to firearm injuries concerning demographic characteristics, response times, and outcomes. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Ankara EMS database (ASOS) encompassing firearm injury cases from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023, totaling 2,764 cases. Descriptive statistics were analyzed across years, focusing on EMS response times. Results: Of the 2,764 cases analyzed, 92.1% involved male patients and 7.9% female patients. Most incidents (71.2%) occurred on weekdays compared to weekends (28.8%). Soft tissue traumas accounted for 53.5% of cases, followed by interhospital transports (21.3%), medical cases (13.7%), and suicides (11.4%). Regarding outcomes, 65.6% of cases were transported to a hospital, 21.3% underwent interhospital transfers, and 11.4% were declared dead on arrival. The average call center response time was 324.6 seconds, ambulance team response time was 45.1 seconds, and time to scene arrival averaged 502.9 seconds. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Ankara EMS demonstrated prompt and effective responses to firearm injuries, predominantly involving male patients. Most cases were directed to training and research hospitals, highlighting these institutions’ pivotal role in EMS operations. These findings provide valuable insights for enhancing EMS protocols and future research. This study aims to inform and guide future investigations in this field.
