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KMID : 1140520210250030189
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Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
2021 Volume.25 No. 3 p.189 ~ p.200
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Collateral damage of emergency medical services due to COVID-19
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Lee Nam-Jin
Yang Jin-Cheol
Moon Jun-Dong
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Abstract
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Purpose: We aimed to provide effective emergency medical services (EMS) response strategies for coping with high acuity patients during the pandemic by analyzing the influence of the COVID-19 and social distancing on EMS.
Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed the distribution of high acuity patients transported by Daejeon 1-1-9 EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic period, between February 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020 and the same period in 2019, as well as the level 3 social distancing enforced period, between July 27, 2020 and October 31, 2020.
Results: The EMS dispatches decreased by 17% during the observed COVID-19 pandemic period compared to the same period in 2019. The number of cases with cardiac arrest and positive prehospital stroke scale rose by (p<.001). Patients with cardiac arrest, trauma, and positive prehospital stroke scale increased by during the level 3 social distancing period.
Conclusion: Unlike the decreased EMS call volume and patient transports during the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiac arrest cases and the severity of high acuity patients tended to increase. We suggest that EMS systems should contrive a response strategy considering the collateral effect of major epidemics on the incidence rate of high acuity patients.
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KEYWORD
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COVID-19, Emergency medical services, Collateral damage
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