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APOT

Ambulance Patient Offload Times

This is your APOT Page. It contains the current information for dealing with extending wait (wall) time at local Orange County hospitals. All APOT reduction strategies should emphasize overall patient safety and the management of the entire OC EMS system.

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Objectives

  • To assure the transport of a patient with an emergency condition to an appropriate ERC/Specialty center.

  • Provide standard definitions ERC/Specialty center closures.

  • Provide Mechanism for ERCs/Specialty centers:

    • Divert ambulance transported patients temporarily.​

    • Advise EMS participants of diversion status.

    • Identify diversion conditions.

  • Assure Fire/Ambulance units are not unreasonable removed from first in areas.

  • Establish a standard Ambulance Patient Off-load Time (APOT).

Ambulance Interventions

APOT > 60 minutes

  • Place patient in the waiting room

    • 18 y/o or older​

    • ​Normal mental status

    • Ambulatory as appropriate for age

    • NOT on a 5150 hold

    • No chest pain, syncope, acute neuro systems

    • Normal vitals

  • Contact the Triage or Charge Nurse and inform of 60 min time.

  • Give verbal report.

  • Transfer ePCR.

  • Obtain Triage Nurse signature or document refusal.

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