為了探討緊急(119)救護車使用的城鄉差異，我們回溯性的收集台南縣市從1993年10月至1994年9月一年期間總共15.808次的緊急救護車出勤案件。在台南地區，車禍佔出勤最大的比例（台南市54.9%，台南縣57.%）。出勤反應時問台南市有82.8%、台南縣有84.8%在接案後8分鐘內到達現場，而在10分鐘內到達現場則市、縣分別為92%及91.4%。台南市比台南縣有較長的救護車現場停留時問（3.9±3.7vs.3.1±3.6分鐘，P<0.05）、較短的出動運送時間（15.5±7.3vs.26.1±16.2分鐘，p<0.05）、而且有較高的使用率（每天每萬人口0.34次比0.19次)；以及較高的出勤空跑率（37.8%比23.3%）。台南市的救護案件中有94.7%被送至責任醫院，而台南縣只有72.4%被送至責任醫院。研究要現，在城鄉之間的確存在著因一些資源及地理因素所造成的差異，這是在規劃設計各地區的緊急救護計畫時應該考慮的。此外，發展建立一個廣泛、一致的緊急救護到院前資料收集系統對改進台灣緊急救護網的品質是極為重要的。

To investigate ambulance utilization in rural and urban districts, a retrospective analysis of total 15,808 emergency ambulance calls within the Tainan City and Tainan County from October 1993 to September 1994 was performed. In both areas, traffic accident was the leading cause of ambulance calls (54.9% in city and 57.9% in county, respectively). The response time in emergency missions indicated that 82.8 % of the calls in the city and 84.8% in the county were within eight minutes; 92.0% calls in the city and 91.4% calls in the county were within ten minutes, respectively. In scene stay time was longer in the urban region than in the rural region (3.93.7 vs. 3.13.6 minutes, p<0.05). Total transport time was shorter in urban region than in rural region (15.57.3 vs. 26.116, 2 minutes, p<0.05). Ambulance utilization was higher in the urban region than in the rural region (0.34 vs. 0.19 transport per 10,000 population per day). Non-transport rate was higher in the urban region than in the rural region (37.8% vs. 23.3%). In the city, 94.7% of the transports were sent to the receiving hospital, however, only 72.4% transports in the county were sent to the receiving hospital. The study indicates that there were differences between urban and rural areas due to resource and geographic factors. Such difference must be considered while planning for regional emergency medical service (EMS). In addition, developing large-scaled and standard EMS data collection system is mandatory for improving the quality EMS in Taiwan.