Table 3 Patient demographics and presumed cause of ARF assessed by the EMS

 Male, %

60 %

50%^a

0.02

 Age, years, median (IQR)

73 (64–80)

74 (64–81)^b

0.99

 Acute cardiopulmonary oedema

18.1 %

13.3 %

0.10^c

 Asthma, acute exacerbation

5.3 %

7.3 %

0.34^c

 COPD, acute exacerbation

57.3 %

45.5 %

0.01^c

 Combined COPD and acute cardiopulmonary oedema

2.3 %

3.4 %

0.63^d

 Combined COPD and asthma

1.2 %

4.2 %

0.07^d

 Other

12.9 %

14.2 %

0.65^c

 Unknown or not reported

2.9 %

12.2 %

<0.01^d