Table 2 Initial complaints and conditions of patients treated by solo emergency physician assistants (PA, n = 2) and ambulance nurses (RN, n = 23)

Trauma/Injury (in alphabetical order, n (%))

218 (45 %)

200 (40 %)

Non trauma (in alphabetical order, n (%))

260 (54 %)

294 (59 %)

 Auto mutilation

2

Acute confusion/delirium

4

2

 Back pain due to injury

1

Allergy

2

7

 Burn

4

Back pain non-injury

6

2

 Choking

1

Bleed/epistaxis/blood loss

11

7

 Extremity injury

7

4

Collapse/dizziness/vasovagal syncope

91

82

 Face injury

6

Epilepsy/seizures

18

20

 Fracture

3

3

Fever/febrile convulsion

6

 High energy trauma

1

2

Hart disease/ACS^c/chest pain/palpitations/AP^d

43

66

 Hypothermia

1

Headache

2

1

 Inhalation trauma

1

2

Hyperventilation

15

22

 Injury due to accident/low energy trauma

63

75

Hypo- of hyperglycaemia

7

9

 Injury due to chemical substance

1

Malaise

3

4

 Injury due to electricity

1

Non specified neurologic complaints

1

2

 Injury due to fall

94

57

Pain

5

4

 Injury due to traffic accident

2

5

Pregnancy/parturition

2

 Injury due to violence

2

5

Psychiatric/social complaint

4

 Intoxication

3

17

Respiratory distress/shortness of breath/COPD^e

19

20

 Luxation/distortion

7

4

Resuscitation

9

7

 Neck injury

4

5

Sepsis

1

 Neurological trauma

1

1

Shock

1

 Suicide attempt

11

11

Stroke/TIA^f

11

17

 Suturing

2

Subdural bleed/subarachnoid haemorrhage

1

2

 Wound/wound leakage

7

2

Thrombosis

1

Deceased n (%)

3 (0,6 %)

1 (0,2 %)

Vomiting/abdominal pain/acute abdomen/vomiting blood

10

7