Factors affecting prehospital time delay of the injured patients arriving at the Emergency Department of Beni-Suef University Hospital in Egypt: A cross-sectional study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the factors affecting the prehospital time delay of the injured patients arriving at the Emergency Department of Beni-Suef University Hospital in Upper Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the following data were retrieved from the hospital records of 632 injured patients between 1/1/2018 and 31/3/2018: age, sex, residence, means of transportation to the hospital, prehospital time delay, consciousness level on admission, source of injury, and type of worst injury. RESULTS: The prehospital time delay (>one hour) of the injured patients was positively associated with age >60 years and rural residence but inversely associated with consciousness level with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 5.14 (2.26-11.68), 3.49 (2.22-5.48), and 0.56 (0.32-0.96), respectively. CONCLUSION: The prehospital time delay of the injured patients arriving at the Emergency Department of Beni-Suef University Hospital in Egypt was associated with old age, rural residence, and consciousness level.