Equipment of a land-based emergency medical service in Bavaria -: A questionnaire

Background. Currently valid DIN regulations concerning the emergency equipment in physician-staffed rescue vehicles are not well defined for every single item. This leads to variations in the equipment in different ambulances. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the differences with some exemplary equipment purchases. Methods. All 218 physician-staffed rescue vehicles in Bavaria received a questionnaire asking for current emergency medical equipment and planned items. Results. A reply was received from 177 of the 218 bases (81%). The main results were that 88% of all bases had a 12-lead ECG, a portable emergency ventilator was available at 93% of all bases, 77% had alternative airway management devices (set for emergency coniotomy 71%, laryngeal mask 26%), expiratory CO2 measuring was available at 32% and 31 bases (18%) had fibrinolytic drugs in the emergency vehicles. Conclusions. There are vast differences among the emergency physician-staffed ambulances concerning the equipment which means that medical treatment according to current recommendations is not always possible at all bases.