Analysis of the Interventions of Medical Emergency Teams in Older Patients in Selected Polish Cities with County Status: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Mariusz Celiński, Mateusz Cybulski, Joanna Fiłon, Marta Muszalik, Mariusz Goniewicz, Elżbieta Krajewska-Kułak and Anna Ślifirczyk
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Mariusz Celiński: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, 21-500 Biała Podlaska, Poland
Mateusz Cybulski: Department of Integrated Medical Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Białystok, 15-096 Białystok, Poland
Joanna Fiłon: Department of Integrated Medical Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Białystok, 15-096 Białystok, Poland
Marta Muszalik: Department of Geriatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Mariusz Goniewicz: Interfaculty Centre for Didactics, Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Elżbieta Krajewska-Kułak: Department of Integrated Medical Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Białystok, 15-096 Białystok, Poland
Anna Ślifirczyk: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, 21-500 Biała Podlaska, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: Introduction: Geriatric patients account for a large proportion of interventions of medical emergency teams (METs). The aim of this study was to analyse medical emergency interventions in the Bia?a Podlaska and Che?m (Poland) between 2016 and 2018 in a group of patients ? 65 years of age. Materials and Methods: We analysed medical records of 1200 older patients treated by METs in Bia?a Podlaska and Che?m (Lublin Province, Poland). The research was conducted from June 2019 to March 2020 at the Emergency Medical Service Station in Bia?a Podlaska and the Medical Rescue Station in Che?m (Independent Public Complex of Health Care Facilities). Results: A total of 92.5% of medical emergency service interventions took place at the patient’s home. The mean time of stay at the scene was 20 min. The highest number of interventions occurred between 8:00 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. There were no statistically significant differences in the type of ambulance used depending on the patient’s sex, while there was a statistically significant relationship between priority code and sex. Cardiovascular diseases were diagnosed in 40% of patients, and the symptoms were not precisely classified in almost the same percentage of patients. Mortality cases accounted for 3.1% of the 1200 interventions analysed. Ambulance dispatch resulted in the patient being transported to the hospital emergency department in 69.1% of cases. Conclusions: METs were called for a variety of diseases due to the fact that geriatric patients are not able to distinguish a life-threatening condition. Medical procedures performed by METs from Bia?a Podlaska and Che?m were closely related to the initial diagnoses made by these teams. It was irrelevant whether a specialist or non-specialist medical emergency service was used. Paramedics are very well trained to practice their profession and are able to provide treatment to older patients in a state of sudden life threat.

Keywords: medical emergency teams; emergency medicine; older adults; seniors; geriatrics; cardiovascular diseases; respiratory diseases; injuries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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