Psychiatric conditions in the practice of National Emergency Medical Services teams in eastern Poland during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic in Poland on the number of visits by National Medical Rescue teams to patients with mental disorders.

Methods: The study included a retrospective analysis of EMT departures from the Łuków district (northern part of the Lublin province) in the two-year period 3.2019-2.2021 (one year before epidemic -period I, the year of the epidemic -period II). The material consisted of Departure Request Cards and Medical Rescue Cards.

Results: In 2-year period were 862 events that met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis, 442- period I and 420- period II, respectively. In both periods, men were analyzed more often (68.7% Pre-Pan; 71.1% Pan). Interventions were more frequent in cities (60.3% Pre-Pan; 60.7% Pan). The share of alcohol and psychoactive substances as a cause of EMS interventions in psychiatric conditions was higher in pandemic.

Conclusions: 1. The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant impact on the number of EMS interventions related to mental disorders in the area covered by the analysis 2. The average duration of EMS interventions to psychiatric conditions slightly increased during the epidemic period 3. Both in the period before and during the pandemic, in the interventions covered by the analysis, men were much more likely to be EMT patients 4. The age of the patients included in the analysis did not change significantly before and during the pandemic 5. Events caused by alcohol abuse and exacerbations of schizophrenia symptoms both before and during the pandemic have the largest share in the analysis.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; State Medical Emergency; psychiatric conditions.