open access

Vol 7, No 3 (2022)
Original article
Published online: 2022-08-02
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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical service response to emergency calls — a retrospective analysis of data from Emergency Medical Service station in Bydgoszcz

Przemysław Paciorek1, Maciej Romaniuk1, Jakub Husejko2, Michał Kasprzak3, Krzysztof Wiśniewski1, Wojciech Skrzyński1, Jakub Marcin Ratajczak34
·
Medical Research Journal 2022;7(3):190-196.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Family Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland
  2. Department of Geriatrics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland
  3. Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz
  4. Department of Health Promotion, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland

open access

Vol 7, No 3 (2022)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Published online: 2022-08-02

Abstract

Introduction: Emergency medical systems, as the first line of management of infectious patients, were affected by the 2019 coronavirus acute respiratory disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) with emphasis on response time.

Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of dispatch card from EMS in Bydgoszcz between January 2018 and December 2020. The differences regarding the EMS response were analyzed between the pre-pandemic (2018–2019) and the pandemic (2020) period in three time-points: from call to Emergency Medical Team (EMT) departure (T1), from departure to arrival at the scene (T2), and from arrival to reaching the emergency department (T3).

Results: There were 47783 EMT departures in 2018, 47113 in 2019 and 40835 in 2020. In 2020 mean (SD) monthly number of interventions was significantly lower [3403 (349) vs. 3954 (182), p < 0.001) compared to the 2018–2019 period. During the pandemic period the mean T1 [0.9 (1.49) vs. 0.63 (1.12) min, p < 0.001], T2 [9.91 (6.33) vs. 8.25 (5.07) min, p < 0.001], and T3 interval [40.45 (19.84) vs. 36.56 (14.63) min, p < 0.001] were prolonged in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. The differences in response time were the largest in October–December.

Conclusions: During the first year of the pandemic, the number of EMT interventions decreased and the response time was prolonged compared to the pre-pandemic period. The largest differences were observed at the end of the year, which overlapped with the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Poland.

Abstract

Introduction: Emergency medical systems, as the first line of management of infectious patients, were affected by the 2019 coronavirus acute respiratory disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) with emphasis on response time.

Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of dispatch card from EMS in Bydgoszcz between January 2018 and December 2020. The differences regarding the EMS response were analyzed between the pre-pandemic (2018–2019) and the pandemic (2020) period in three time-points: from call to Emergency Medical Team (EMT) departure (T1), from departure to arrival at the scene (T2), and from arrival to reaching the emergency department (T3).

Results: There were 47783 EMT departures in 2018, 47113 in 2019 and 40835 in 2020. In 2020 mean (SD) monthly number of interventions was significantly lower [3403 (349) vs. 3954 (182), p < 0.001) compared to the 2018–2019 period. During the pandemic period the mean T1 [0.9 (1.49) vs. 0.63 (1.12) min, p < 0.001], T2 [9.91 (6.33) vs. 8.25 (5.07) min, p < 0.001], and T3 interval [40.45 (19.84) vs. 36.56 (14.63) min, p < 0.001] were prolonged in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. The differences in response time were the largest in October–December.

Conclusions: During the first year of the pandemic, the number of EMT interventions decreased and the response time was prolonged compared to the pre-pandemic period. The largest differences were observed at the end of the year, which overlapped with the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Poland.

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Keywords

COVID-19, emergency medical service, pandemic, response time

About this article
Title

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical service response to emergency calls — a retrospective analysis of data from Emergency Medical Service station in Bydgoszcz

Journal

Medical Research Journal

Issue

Vol 7, No 3 (2022)

Article type

Original article

Pages

190-196

Published online

2022-08-02

Page views

3965

Article views/downloads

324

DOI

10.5603/MRJ.a2022.0033

Bibliographic record

Medical Research Journal 2022;7(3):190-196.

Keywords

COVID-19
emergency medical service
pandemic
response time

Authors

Przemysław Paciorek
Maciej Romaniuk
Jakub Husejko
Michał Kasprzak
Krzysztof Wiśniewski
Wojciech Skrzyński
Jakub Marcin Ratajczak

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