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Table 2 Ambulance service characteristics – training and occupation of EMS ambulance personnel

From: Description of Emergency Medical Services, treatment of cardiac arrest patients and cardiac arrest registries in Europe

Country

Ambulance personnel ALS trained?

What is the occupation of the majority of EMS personnel?

Do physicians provide patient care as part of EMS?

Can ALS trained ambulance personnel perform the following interventions without a physician present on scene?

Secure airways with supraglottic or endotracheal tubes

Intravenous or intraosseous drug therapy

Manual defibrillation

Semi-automatic defibrillation

Albania

Some

Emergency physician

Sometimes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Austria

All

EMT

Routinely

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Belgium

Some

EMT

Routinely

No

No

No

Yes

Cyprus

All

Emergency nurse / nurse

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Czech Republic

Some

Emergency nurse / nurse

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Denmark

All

Paramedic

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Finland

Some

Paramedic

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

France

Some

Other

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Germany

All

Paramedic

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Greece

Some

EMT

Sometimes

No

No

No

No

Hungary

Some

Emergency nurse / nurse

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Iceland

Some

EMT

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ireland

All

Paramedic

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Italy

Some

Emergency nurse / nurse

Routinely

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Lithuania

Some

Emergency nurse / nurse

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Luxembourg

Some

Paramedic

Routinely

Yes

No

No

Yes

Netherlands

All

Emergency nurse / nurse

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Norway

All

Paramedic

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Poland

All

Paramedic

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Portugal

Some

EMT

Routinely

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Romania

Some

Emergency nurse / nurse

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Serbia

Some

Emergency physician

Routinely

No

No

No

No

Slovakia

All

Paramedic

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Slovenia

All

Emergency nurse / nurse

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Spain

All

Emergency physician

Routinely

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sweden

All

Emergency nurse / nurse

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Switzerland

All

Paramedic

Routinely

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

United Kingdoma

Some

Paramedic

Sometimes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

  1. The answers are for the entire country which means that the answers “Some” and “Sometimes” indicate this is not implemented in all EMS services in the entire country
  2. Abbreviations: EMS Emergency Medical Services, EMT Emergency Medical Technician, ALS – Advanced Life Support
  3. aUnited Kingdom excluding Wales
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Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine

ISSN: 1757-7241