When do emergencies happen? Exploring circadian, weekly, and seasonal trends in ambulance calls in Cyprus

IF 1.8 4区医学 Q2 NURSING

International Emergency Nursing Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1016/j.ienj.2025.101686

Andreas Protopapas , Ioannis Mamais , Riana Constantinou , Stelios Iordanou , Maria Prodromou , Stelios Mappouras , Efthyvoulos Kyriacou

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The demand for ambulances has steadily risen over the past few decades, straining Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and emergency departments (EDs). Understanding the temporal patterns of emergency calls can improve ED patient flow. The aim of this study was to analyze the overall demand for emergency ambulance calls in Cyprus focusing on call reasons, time of day, day of the week, and year season.

Method

This retrospective descriptive study analyzed emergency call data from the Cyprus Ambulance Service (2018–2022). Descriptive statistics summarized emergency call distributions by priority level, year season, weekday, and time of day. Frequencies and percentages were reported, and chi-square tests assessed differences (p < 0.05). Statistical analysis was performed using STATA v14, with results presented in tables and figures.

Results

A total of 148,043 emergency calls were analyzed, with RED (32.5 %) (high priority) and BLACK (11.1 %) (lowest priority – dead patient) cases peaking in winter (27.9 %), followed by spring (27.7 %). Monday recorded the highest overall demand (14.9 %), while RED emergencies peaked on Fridays and Sundays (14.7 %). The highest call volume occurred between 8 am and 12 pm (25.1 %), reflecting increased daytime activity. The most common emergency categories were unwell patients (25 %), falls (11 %), respiratory problems (10 %), and road traffic accidents (9 %), with their frequency varying throughout the day. Notably, traffic accidents were most frequent between 1 pm and 7 pm, particularly on Mondays and Fridays, while other medical emergencies exhibited peak demand in the late morning and early evening hours.

Conclusion

Emergency ambulance calls in Cyprus peaked in winter, especially severe cases (despite the fact that Cyprus population is more than double during summer due to tourism). Weekly trends showed highest demand on Mondays, while life-threatening cases increased on Fridays and Sundays. The most frequent call reasons displayed distinct daily and weekly patterns.

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什么时候会发生紧急情况？探索塞浦路斯救护车呼叫的昼夜、每周和季节性趋势

目的在过去的几十年里，对救护车的需求稳步上升，给紧急医疗服务（EMS）和急诊科（EDs）带来了压力。了解紧急呼叫的时间模式可以改善急诊科的病人流量。本研究的目的是分析塞浦路斯紧急救护车呼叫的总体需求，重点是呼叫原因，一天中的时间，一周中的一天和一年的季节。方法回顾性描述性研究分析了塞浦路斯救护车服务中心（2018-2022）的紧急呼叫数据。描述性统计按优先级、年度季节、工作日和一天中的时间汇总了紧急呼叫分布。报告频率和百分比，卡方检验评估差异（p < 0.05）。采用STATA v14软件进行统计分析，结果以表格和图表的形式呈现。结果共分析急诊呼叫148043次，其中红色（32.5%）（高优先级）和黑色（11.1%）（最低优先级-死亡患者）在冬季最多（27.9%），其次是春季（27.7%）。周一的总需求最高（14.9%），而红色紧急情况在周五和周日达到峰值（14.7%）。最高的呼叫量发生在上午8点到下午12点之间（25.1%），反映了白天活动的增加。最常见的紧急类别是身体不适（25%）、跌倒（11%）、呼吸问题（10%）和道路交通事故（9%），其频率在一天中有所不同。值得注意的是，交通事故在下午1点至7点之间最频繁，特别是在周一和周五，而其他医疗紧急情况在上午晚些时候和傍晚早些时候出现高峰需求。结论塞浦路斯的紧急救护车呼叫在冬季达到高峰，特别是重症病例（尽管塞浦路斯人口在夏季由于旅游业增加了一倍多）。每周趋势显示，周一的需求最高，而危及生命的病例在周五和周日增加。最频繁的通话原因显示出明显的每日和每周模式。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Emergency Nursing NURSING-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

11.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： International Emergency Nursing is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to nurses and other professionals involved in emergency care. It aims to promote excellence through dissemination of high quality research findings, specialist knowledge and discussion of professional issues that reflect the diversity of this field. With an international readership and authorship, it provides a platform for practitioners worldwide to communicate and enhance the evidence-base of emergency care. The journal publishes a broad range of papers, from personal reflection to primary research findings, created by first-time through to reputable authors from a number of disciplines. It brings together research from practice, education, theory, and operational management, relevant to all levels of staff working in emergency care settings worldwide.