PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE IN HUNGARY: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PAST?

Background: In Hungary, prehospital emergency medical services are provided by the National Ambulance Service. The 60(th) anniversary of the National Ambulance Service provides a good opportunity to give an overview of the current trends in prehospital emergency medical care in Hungary. Objectives: In this report, a description of the organizational structure and the latest developments in the National Ambulance Service are described with the intention to highlight future directions in emergency medical services, as well as the influence of international trends in emergency patient care. Results: In Hungary, the ambulance cars are staffed by two or three crew members trained in rescue, stabilization of the patient's status, transport, and advanced care of traumatic and medical emergencies. There are three major levels of care provided by ambulance personnel: a basic level ambulance crew (Emergency Medical Technician Unit), a second level (Ambulance Officer Unit), and the highest level (Emergency Physician Unit). The personnel on the latter two units are trained in all aspects of Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support procedures for prehospital emergency care. Following the latest international developments in medical rescue devices and guidelines, all staff are retrained yearly. Recently, private services for transportation for non-acute illnesses have been introduced, allowing the National Ambulance Service to concentrate on emergencies only. Conclusions: Although the Hungarian Ambulance Service has a very long and meaningful past and a respected professional development, new challenges facing prehospital emergency care are inevitable and continuous development is necessary. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc.