Data from: Characteristics and outcomes of women utilizing emergency medical services for third-trimester pregnancy-related complaints in India: a prospective observational study

Objectives: Characterize the demographics, management, and outcomes of obstetric patients transported by emergency medical services (EMS). Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Five Indian states utilizing a centralized EMS agency that transported 3.1 million pregnant women in 2014. Participants: This study enrolled a convenience sample of 1684 women in third trimester of pregnancy calling with a “pregnancy-related” complaint for free-of-charge ambulance transport. Calls were deemed “pregnancy-related” if categorized by EMS dispatchers as “pregnancy”, “childbirth”, “miscarriage”, or “labor pains”. Interfacility transfers, patients absent upon ambulance arrival, and patients refusing care were excluded. Main outcome measures: Emergency medical technician (EMT) interventions, method of delivery, and death. Results: The median age enrolled was 23 years (IQR 21-25). Women were primarily from rural/tribal areas (1550/1684 (92.0%)) and lower economic strata (1177/1684 (69.9%)). Time from initial call to hospital arrival was longer for rural/tribal compared to urban patients (66 min (IQR 51-84) vs 56 min (IQR 42-73), respectively, p