Exploring Prehospital Data for Pandemic Preparedness: A Western Brazilian Amazon Case Study on COVID-19

Eduardo Fernandes, Bernardo Maia da Silva, Cássia da Luz Goulart, Jefferson Valente, Nádia Cubas-Vega, Camila Sato, Anna Gabriela Rezende, Taynna Vernalha Rocha Almeida, Robson Luís Oliveira de Amorim, Jorge Luis Salinas, Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro, Guilherme Peixoto Tinoco Arêas and Fernando Almeida-Val ()
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Eduardo Fernandes: Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus 69050-010, Brazil
Bernardo Maia da Silva: Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus 69040-000, Brazil
Cássia da Luz Goulart: Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus 69040-000, Brazil
Jefferson Valente: Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus 69050-010, Brazil
Nádia Cubas-Vega: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa 11100, Honduras
Camila Sato: Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus 69050-010, Brazil
Anna Gabriela Rezende: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus 69000-000, Brazil
Taynna Vernalha Rocha Almeida: Ministério da Saúde, Brasilia 70756-550, Brazil
Robson Luís Oliveira de Amorim: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus 69000-000, Brazil
Jorge Luis Salinas: Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro: Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus 69050-010, Brazil
Guilherme Peixoto Tinoco Arêas: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus 69000-000, Brazil
Fernando Almeida-Val: Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus 69050-010, Brazil

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: Background: The timely management of rapidly evolving epidemiological scenarios caused by disease outbreaks is crucial to prevent devastating consequences. However, delayed laboratory diagnostics can hamper swift health policy and epidemic response, especially in remote regions such as the western Brazilian Amazon. The aim of the article is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume and characteristics of emergency medical services (EMS) in Manaus, focusing on how the pandemic affected sensitive indicators such as response time and the use of advanced life support ambulances. Additionally, the study seeks to understand how changes in prehospital EMS patterns, triggered by the pandemic, could be utilized as health surveillance tools, enabling a more rapid response in epidemic scenarios. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive study included data from the SAMU (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência) medical records between January and June 2020. Results: A total of 45,581 calls resulted in mobile units being dispatched during this period. These patients were predominantly male (28,227, 61.9%), with a median age of 47 years (IQR 30–67). The median response time significantly increased during the pandemic, reaching a median of 45.9 min (IQR 30.6–67.7) ( p < 0.001). EMS calls were reduced for trauma patients and increased for other medical emergencies, especially respiratory conditions, concomitantly to an escalation in the number of deaths caused by SARS and COVID-19 ( p < 0.001). The employment of advanced life support ambulances was higher during the pandemic phase ( p = 0.0007). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a temporary disorder in the volume and reason for EMS calls in Manaus. Consequently, sensitive indicators like the response time and the employment of advanced life support ambulances were negatively affected. Sudden prehospital EMS pattern changes could play an important role in health surveillance systems, allowing for earlier establishment of countermeasures in epidemics. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prehospital EMS and its role in health surveillance should be further explored.

Keywords: prehospital care; emergency medical service; severe acute respiratory syndrome; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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