Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on an Emergency medical service

Cilj istraživanja: Ispitati utjecaj Covid-19 bolesti na rad izvanbolničke hitne medicinske službe Zavoda za hitnu medicinu Varaždinske županije i utvrditi izazove zbrinjavanja pacijenata u odnosu na isti period u 2019.godini. Metode rada: Metodom prikupljanja sekundarnih podataka o ukupnom broju izvršenih usluga od strane Zavoda za hitnu medicinu Varaždinske županije koja je sadržavala 153 dnevna, tjedna i mjesečna izvješća prema Kriznom stožeru Ministarstva zdravstva Republike Hrvatske. Istraživanje je provedeno u periodu od 1. ožujka 2020.godine do 31.srpnja 2020.godine u Zavodu za hitnu medicinu Varaždinske županije. Rezultati: Usporedna analiza 2019 i 2020.godine pokazuje da je ukupan broj intervencija izvan prostorija Zavoda u 2020.godini manji za 13,35%. Ukupni broj pregleda u prostoru za reanimaciju/ambulanti za isto razdoblje prošle godine manji je za 38,74%. Broj sanitetskih prijevoza u odnosu na prošlu godinu veći je za 4,82%. Ukupno je bilo 119 intervencija vezanih za Covid-19 u 2020.godini, dok je u istom vremenskom razdoblju bilo 128 sanitetskih prijevoza vezanih za Covid-19. Broj hitnih poziva na koje se odgovorilo slanjem tima hitne medicinske službe na intervenciju manji je za 13,35%. Broj hitnih poziva na koje se dao savjet 2020.godine u odnosu na 2019.godinu veći je za 20,62%. Zaključak: Utvrđeno je postojanje razlike u odnosu ukupnog broja intervencija koji je smanjen dok je povećan broj poziva na koje se dao savjet, iz čega proizlazi potreba za dodatnom edukacijom stanovništva vezano uz Covid-19 bolest.The aim of the research: To examine the impact of Covid-19 disease on the work of the emergency medical service of the Institute of Emergency Medicine of Varaždin County and to determine the challenges of caring for patients in relation to the same period in 2019. Methods of work: By the method of collecting secondary data on the total number of services provided by the Institute of Emergency Medicine of Varaždin County, which contained 153 daily, weekly and monthly reports to the Crisis Staff of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia. The research was conducted in the period from March 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020 at the Institute of Emergency Medicine of Varaždin County. The results: A comparative analysis of 2019 and 2020 shows that the total number of interventions outside the premises of the Institute in 2020 is lower by 13.35%. The total number of examinations in the intensive care unit for the same period last year decreased by 38.74%. The number of ambulances is 4.82% higher than last year. There were a total of 119 Covid-19-related interventions in 2020, while in the same time period, there were 128 Covid- 19-related medical transports. The number of emergency calls that were answered by sending an emergency medical service team to the intervention decreased by 13.35%. The number of emergency calls to which advice was given in 2020 is 20.62% higher than in 2019. Conclusion: There was a difference in the ratio of the total number of interventions which decreased while the number of calls to which advice was given increased, hence the need for additional education of the population related to Covid-19 disease