[Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on emergency medical service operations].
Auswirkung des COVID-19-Lockdowns auf Rettungseinsätze.
Emergency
Emergency medicine
Lockdown
Paramedic
SARS CoV‑2
Transportation
Journal
Notfall & rettungsmedizin
ISSN: 1434-6222
Titre abrégé: Notf Rett Med
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 9812553
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2022
2022
Historique:
accepted:
29
03
2021
pubmed:
28
4
2021
medline:
28
4
2021
entrez:
27
4
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
As a response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, extensive contact restrictions were imposed by law in Germany as in other European countries. The present study intends to clarify the effect of these restrictions on emergency medical service (EMS) operations. Retrospective chart review of EMS operation protocols over the first 6 months of 2020 ( During the 6 weeks after the lockdown the frequency of rescue operations decreased by 17.7%. In particular, there was a 40.6% ( EMS experienced a reduction of operations as a result of contact restrictions, although not as pronounced as was recently described for emergency rooms. This supports the hypothesis that the reduction is particularly evident in less severe cases and in younger patients. The reduction in pneumonia and COPD cases is striking. On the one hand, this could indicate that contact restrictions reduce the incidence of other respiratory infections and their impact on chronic respiratory disorders, but it could also mean that patients try to avoid hospital treatment.
Sections du résumé
Background
UNASSIGNED
As a response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, extensive contact restrictions were imposed by law in Germany as in other European countries. The present study intends to clarify the effect of these restrictions on emergency medical service (EMS) operations.
Materials and methods
UNASSIGNED
Retrospective chart review of EMS operation protocols over the first 6 months of 2020 (
Results
UNASSIGNED
During the 6 weeks after the lockdown the frequency of rescue operations decreased by 17.7%. In particular, there was a 40.6% (
Discussion
UNASSIGNED
EMS experienced a reduction of operations as a result of contact restrictions, although not as pronounced as was recently described for emergency rooms. This supports the hypothesis that the reduction is particularly evident in less severe cases and in younger patients. The reduction in pneumonia and COPD cases is striking. On the one hand, this could indicate that contact restrictions reduce the incidence of other respiratory infections and their impact on chronic respiratory disorders, but it could also mean that patients try to avoid hospital treatment.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33903799
doi: 10.1007/s10049-021-00873-1
pii: 873
pmc: PMC8060906
doi:
Types de publication
English Abstract
Journal Article
Langues
ger
Pagination
341-347Informations de copyright
© The Author(s) 2021.