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Encyclopedia > Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System
Star of Life
Star of Life

AMPDS stands for the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System, and is a piece of computer software used by ambulance services worldwide to prioritise calls by priorty. Image File history File links Star_of_life. ... Image File history File links Star_of_life. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Computer program. ... An ambulance in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico A Helicopter used as an Ambulance. ...


The output gives a main response category - A (Immediately Life Threatening), B (Urgent Call), C (Routine Call). This may well be linked to a performance targeting system such as ORCON where calls must be responded to within a given time period. For example, in the United Kingdom, calls rated as 'A' on AMPDS are targeted with getting a responder on scene within 8 minutes. ORCON (Operational Research CONsultancy) was developed by a UK consultancy company in 1974 as a standard for monitoring ambulance service performance. ...


Each call is then assigned a sub-category or code, often used as a means of gathering statistics about performance. It also helps when analysing the calls for how the call was described by the informant, compared to the injury or illness found when the crew attend. This can then be used to help improve the questioning system which gives the AMPDS classification. A graph of a Normal bell curve showing statistics used in educational assessment and comparing various grading methods. ... Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical. ... This article needs more context around or a better explanation of technical details to make it more accessible to general readers and technical readers outside the specialty, without removing technical details. ...

Contents

Category A Calls

Under the AMPDS system, category A (Immediately Life Threatening) calls are:

Nature of Injury/Illness Dispatch Description
Allergies (reactions) / Envenomations (stings, bites) Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Severe respiratory distress
Non alert
Condition worsening
Swarming Attack (Bee, Wasp, Hornet).
snakebite
Ineffective Breathing, Early Dispatch
Animal Bites/Attacks Unconscious or Arrest
Not Alert.
Assault/Sexual Assault Unconscious or Arrest
Not alert.
Abnormal Breathing.
Dangerous Body Area (new definition)
Breathing Problems Severe respiratory distress
Non alert
Ineffective Breathing
Burns (scalds)/Explosion Unconscious or Arrest
Severe respiratory distress
Non alert
Carbon Monoxide/Inhalation/Hazchem Unconscious or Arrest
Severe Respiratory Distress
Not Alert
Unknown status (3rd party call)
Cardiac or Respiratory arrest/Death Ineffective Breathing
Not breathing at all
Breathing Uncertain (Agonal)
Hanging
Strangulation
Suffocation
Underwater
Chest Pain Abnormal breathing
Cardiac History
Cocaine
Breathing Normally >35
Severe respiratory distress
Non alert
Clammy
Nausea or vomiting
Choking Not alert.
Verified/Ineffective Breathing
Convulsions/Fitting Pregnancy
Not breathing (after key questions)
Continuous or Multiple Fitting
Irregular Breathing
Breathing Regularly Not Verified >35
Diabetic Problems Unconscious
Drowning (near)/Diving/Scuba Accident Unknown status (3rd party call)
Unconscious
Not Alert
Diving or Suspected Neck Injury
Electrocution/Lightning Unconscious
Not disconnected from the power
Power not off - hazard present
Long Fall >6ft
Not Alert
Abnormal Breathing
Unknown status (3rd party call)
Not Breathing/Ineffective breathing
Falls Dangerous injuries
Non alert
Abnormal breathing
Heart Problems/A.I.C.D. Chest Pains >35
Severe Respiratory Distress
Not Alert
Clammy
Haemorrhage/Lacerations Haemorrhage Through Tubes
Dangerous haemorrhage
Non alert
Abnormal Breathing
Industrial/Machinery Accidents Life Status Questionable
caught in machinery (Unknown Status)
Overdose/Poisoning (ingestion) Unconscious
Severe respiratory distress
Pregnancy/Childbirth/Miscarriage Breech or Cord
Imminent Delivery (>5 months / 20 weeks)
Baby Born
3rd trimester haemorrhage
High Risk Complications
Stab/Gunshot/Penetrating Trauma Unconscious or Arrest
Not Alert
Central wounds
Multiple wounds
Traffic/Transportation Accidents High Mechanism - Ejection
Not Alert
Traumatic Injuries – specific Dangerous body area
Not Alert
Abnormal Breathing
Unconscious/Fainting (near) Multiple fainting episodes
Unconscious (at end of interrogation)
Severe respiratory distress
Non alert
Ineffective breathing (early despatch)
Unknown Problem (collapse 3rd party) Life status questionable

This article needs cleanup. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... For professional wrestler Steve Borden, see Sting (wrestler). ... A man being bitten in the neck A bite is a wound received from the mouth (and in particular, the teeth) of an animal or person. ... For the play Breath by Samuel Beckett, see Breath (play). ... Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the reflex in the human body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, into the esophagus, with the shutting of the epiglottis. ... There are two forms of respiratory distress syndrome: ARDS, which is acute (or adult) respiratory distress syndrome or infant respiratory distress syndrome which is a complication of premature birth. ... Swarming Attack is the twelfth episode of the French animated television series Code Lyoko. ... For information on the subject of disappearing domesticated honey bee colonies in the United States and some European countries, which phenomenon only affects this one particular species of bee, see Colony Collapse Disorder. ... Suborder Apocrita See text for explanation. ... This article refers collectively to all true hornets. ... A snakebite, or snake bite, is a bite inflicted by a Snake. ... A man being bitten in the neck A bite is a wound received from the mouth (and in particular, the teeth) of an animal or person. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... Sexual assault is any physical contact of a sexual nature without voluntary consent. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... There are two forms of respiratory distress syndrome: ARDS, which is acute (or adult) respiratory distress syndrome or infant respiratory distress syndrome which is a complication of premature birth. ... Look up burn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This page deals with the type of injury called burns; for other meanings of burn see burn (disambiguation) In medicine, a burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation (an example of the latter is sunburn). ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... A cardiac arrest, or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole. ... There are two forms of respiratory distress syndrome: ARDS, which is acute (or adult) respiratory distress syndrome or infant respiratory distress syndrome which is a complication of premature birth. ... Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... A cardiac arrest, or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole. ... A cardiac arrest, or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole. ... Respiratory arrest is the cessation of the normal tidal flow of the lungs due to paralysis of the diaphragm, collapse of the lung or any number of respiratory failures. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Agonal respiration is an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by shallow, slow (3-4 per minute), irregular inspirations followed by irregular pauses. ... // This page is about death by hanging. ... Suffocation can mean two things: Suffocation, or Asphyxia, is a medical condition where the body is depraved of oxygen. ... Cocaine is one hell of a drug and manny is back ... There are two forms of respiratory distress syndrome: ARDS, which is acute (or adult) respiratory distress syndrome or infant respiratory distress syndrome which is a complication of premature birth. ... For the Beck song, see Nausea (song). ... Vomiting (also throwing up or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. ... Choking is the obstruction of the flow of air into a persons lungs by a foreign object, commonly food. ... This article is about the medical condition. ... Fitting can refer to: A small machine part that can attach two or more larger parts. ... A pregnant woman near the end of her term Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... For other uses, see Dive. ... may refer to: Scuba diving, the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... Spinal cord injury, or myelopathy, is a disturbance of the spinal cord that results in loss of sensation and/or mobility. ... The term electrocution can mean either: accidental death or suicide by electric shock deliberate execution by electric shock, usually involving an electric chair The term is often used incorrectly to refer to a non-fatal event of electric shock. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), also known as an automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD), is a device that is implanted under the skin of patients that are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... For biological toxicity, see toxin and poison. ... A pregnant woman near the end of her term Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. ... Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a human pregnancy with the emergence of a newborn infant/s from the mothers uterus. ... Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the natural or accidental termination of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or the fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined at a gestation of prior to 20 weeks. ... Look up breech in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the term trimester used in academic settings, see Academic term The human gestation period of approximately 40 weeks between the time of the last menstrual cycle and delivery is traditionally divided into three periods of three months, or trimesters. ... Look up stab in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, and the sound effect thereof; the term can also refer to a wound caused by such a discharge. ... Trauma can represent: Physical trauma, an often serious and body-altering physical injury, such as the removal of a limb. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... A cardiac arrest, or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... Fainting (IPA: or ) is a sudden (and generally momentary) loss of consciousness, or blacking out due to the Central Ischaemic Response, because of a lack of sufficient blood and oxygen reaching the brain. ...

Category B Calls

Under the AMPDS system, category B (Urgent) calls are:

Nature of Injury/Illness Dispatch Description
Abdominal Pain/Problems Not Alert
Fainting or near fainting > 50
Female with Fainting or Near Fainting 12-50
Male with Pain above the navel > 35
Female with Pain above the navel > 45
Allergies (reactions) / Envenomations (stings, bites) Special Medications or Injections Used
Unknown Status (3rd Party Caller)
No difficulty breathing or swallowing
Animal Bites/Attacks Dangerous Body Area
Large Animal
Exotic Animal
Attack or multiple animals
Possibly Dangerous Body Area
Serious Haemorrhage
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)
Assault/Sexual Assault Multiple Injuries
Possibly Dangerous Body Area
Serious Haemorrhage
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)
Back Pain Not Alert
Fainting or near fainting >50
Breathing Problems Clammy
Abnormal Breathing
Cardiac History
Burns (scalds)/Explosion Explosion
Multiple victims
Building fire - Persons Reported
Difficulty Breathing
Burns > 18%
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)
Burns < 18%
Fire Alarm (Unknown Status)
Carbon Monoxide/Inhalation/Hazchem Multiple Victims
Alert with Difficulty Breathing
Alert without Difficulty Breathing
Carbon Monoxide detector alarm
Cardiac or Respiratory arrest/Death Obvious Death Unquestionable
Expected Death
Choking Abnormal Breathing (Partial Obstruction)
Convulsions/Fitting Diabetic
Cardiac History
Breathing Regularly not verified <35
Not seizing now and breathing regularly (verified)
Diabetic Problems Not Alert
Abnormal Behaviour
Abnormal Breathing
Drowning (near)/Diving/Scuba Accident Scuba Accident
Alert with normal breathing
Alert and Breathing Normally (injuries or in water)
Alert and breathing normally (NO injuries or in water)
Electrocution/Lightning Alert and breathing normally
Eye Problems Not Alert
Severe Eye Injuries
Moderate Eye Injuries
Falls Long fall > 6ft
Possibly dangerous body area
Serious Haemorrhage
Unknown Status (3rd Party Caller)
Headache Not Alert
Abnormal Breathing
Speech problems
Sudden onset of pain < 3 hrs
Numbness or paralysis
Change in behaviour < 3 hrs
Unknown Status (3rd Party Caller)
Heart Problems/A.I.C.D. Firing of A.I.C.D.
Abnormal Breathing
Cardiac History
Cocaine
Heart rate <50bpm or <130bpm without priority symptoms
Unknown Status (3rd Party Caller)
Heat/Cold Exposure Not Alert
Cardiac History
Change in skin colour
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)
Haemorrhage/Lacerations Possibly dangerous Haemorrhage
Serious Haemorrhage
Bleeding disorders or thinners
Industrial/Machinery Accidents Multiple Victims
Unknown situation (not caught in machinery)
Overdose/Poisoning (ingestion) Violent (Police must secure)
Not Alert
Abnormal Breathing
Antidepressants
Cocaine (or derivative)
Narcotics (heroin)
Acid or Alkali (Lye)
Unknown Status (3rd Party Call)
Poison control request response
Overdose (without priority symptoms)
Pregnancy/Childbirth/Miscarriage Head visible/out
2nd Trimester haemorrhage or miscarriage
1st Trimester serious haemorrhage
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)
Psychiatric/Suicide Attempt Not Alert
Violent (Police must attend
Threatening Suicide
Near Hanging, strangulation or suffocation (alert)
Unknown status (3rd party caller)
Sick Person Not Alert
Cardiac History
Unknown Status (3rd Party Caller)
Stab/Gunshot/Penetrating Trauma Multiple Victims
Non-recent (>6hrs) single central wound
Known single peripheral wound
Serious Haemorrhage
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)
Stroke (CVA) Not Alert
Abnormal Breathing
Speech or movement problems
Numbness or Tingling
Stroke History
Breathing normally > 35
Unknown status (3rd party caller)
Breathing normally < 35
Traffic/Transportation Accidents Major Incident
High Mechanism
HAZMAT
Pinned or trapped victim
Injuries
Multiple Victims (one unit)
Multiple Victims (additional units)
Serious Haemorrhage
Unknown status (3rd party caller)
1st party caller with injury to non dangerous body area
Traumatic Injuries – specific Serious Haemorrhage
Possibly dangerous body area
Unconscious/Fainting (Non-Traumatic) Alert with normal breathing
Cardiac History
Single or near fainting episode and alert > 35
Females 12-50 with abdominal pain
Unknown Problem (collapse 3rd party) Standing, sitting, moving or talking
Medical Alert Notifications
Unknown Status (3rd party caller)

The abdomen (from the Latin word meaning belly) is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. ... Fainting (IPA: or ) is a sudden (and generally momentary) loss of consciousness, or blacking out due to the Central Ischaemic Response, because of a lack of sufficient blood and oxygen reaching the brain. ... Fainting (IPA: or ) is a sudden (and generally momentary) loss of consciousness, or blacking out due to the Central Ischaemic Response, because of a lack of sufficient blood and oxygen reaching the brain. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article needs cleanup. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... For professional wrestler Steve Borden, see Sting (wrestler). ... A man being bitten in the neck A bite is a wound received from the mouth (and in particular, the teeth) of an animal or person. ... A man being bitten in the neck A bite is a wound received from the mouth (and in particular, the teeth) of an animal or person. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... Sexual assault is any physical contact of a sexual nature without voluntary consent. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Low back pain. ... Fainting (IPA: or ) is a sudden (and generally momentary) loss of consciousness, or blacking out due to the Central Ischaemic Response, because of a lack of sufficient blood and oxygen reaching the brain. ... Look up burn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This page deals with the type of injury called burns; for other meanings of burn see burn (disambiguation) In medicine, a burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation (an example of the latter is sunburn). ... Look up burn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up burn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Wheelock MT-24-LSM fire alarm horn and strobe. ... Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. ... A cardiac arrest, or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole. ... Respiratory arrest is the cessation of the normal tidal flow of the lungs due to paralysis of the diaphragm, collapse of the lung or any number of respiratory failures. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Choking is the obstruction of the flow of air into a persons lungs by a foreign object, commonly food. ... This article is about the medical condition. ... Fitting can refer to: A small machine part that can attach two or more larger parts. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... For other uses, see Dive. ... may refer to: Scuba diving, the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time. ... may refer to: Scuba diving, the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time. ... The term electrocution can mean either: accidental death or suicide by electric shock deliberate execution by electric shock, usually involving an electric chair The term is often used incorrectly to refer to a non-fatal event of electric shock. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Eyes are organs of vision that detect light. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... A headache is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), also known as an automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD), is a device that is implanted under the skin of patients that are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation. ... An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), also known as an automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD), is a device that is implanted under the skin of patients that are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation. ... Cocaine is one hell of a drug and manny is back ... Look up exposure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... For biological toxicity, see toxin and poison. ... Violence is a general term to describe actions, usually deliberate, that cause or intend to cause injury to people, animals, or non-living objects. ... An antidepressant is a medication used primarily in the treatment of clinical depression. ... Cocaine is one hell of a drug and manny is back ... The term narcotic, derived from the Greek word for stupor, originally referred to a variety of substances that induced sleep (such state is narcosis). ... Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine, (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ... Acidity redirects here. ... In chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: al-qalyالقلوي, القالي ) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal element. ... Lye is a caustic solution used for glass and soap making. ... The skull and crossbones symbol (Jolly Roger) traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... A pregnant woman near the end of her term Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. ... Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a human pregnancy with the emergence of a newborn infant/s from the mothers uterus. ... Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the natural or accidental termination of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or the fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined at a gestation of prior to 20 weeks. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the natural or accidental termination of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or the fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined at a gestation of prior to 20 weeks. ... Suicide (Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally taking ones own life. ... // This page is about death by hanging. ... Suffocation can mean two things: Suffocation, or Asphyxia, is a medical condition where the body is depraved of oxygen. ... Look up stab in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, and the sound effect thereof; the term can also refer to a wound caused by such a discharge. ... Trauma can represent: Physical trauma, an often serious and body-altering physical injury, such as the removal of a limb. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... Stroke is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. ... HAZMAT is an abbreviation of “Hazardous Material”. Hazardous materials are any substances (solids, liquids, or gases) that are dangerous to the well-being of humans, animals, or the environment. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... The unconscious mind (or subconscious) is the aspect (or puported aspect) of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ... Fainting (IPA: or ) is a sudden (and generally momentary) loss of consciousness, or blacking out due to the Central Ischaemic Response, because of a lack of sufficient blood and oxygen reaching the brain. ...

C Category Calls

All remaining illnesses and injuries are classified as Category C - Non life threatening, and will receive a routine response, rather than an emergency response. There are still response codes for each illness and injury type


References

  • Department of Health - AMPDS Call Categorisation Vers 11 (April 2005)

 

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