Emergency Health Services in Areas of Low Population Density

Emergency health services in the prehospital phase must be emphasized to save, among persons who die in less than 24 hours, the substantial minority who are dead or moribund when they reach the emergency room. Among adults, a greater percentage of inherently and potentially serious emergencies than minor emergencies occur at night, are in rural areas, and involve persons who have been drinking and often are problem drinkers. Planning for emergency services must be based on separate evaluation of minor and serious emergencies and on consideration of the separate problems and resources of urban and rural areas, the latter including areas of low population density in predominately urban communities. Overemphasis upon services for persons injured on the highway at the expense of services for the entire range of injury and illness must be avoided.