Heribert Kirchner, Andreas Bohn, Nik Hulsmans, Patrick Brzoska, Frank-Gerald B Pajonk
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented a serious challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Special psychiatric patients represent a vulnerable group and are particularly affected by lockdown interventions. Knowledge on the possible effects for this group of patients in an emergency physician setting is low.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the first lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 on emergency ambulance services for psychiatric patients in a large German city.
Material and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all prehospital psychiatric emergencies in a large German city during the first pandemic-related lockdown from 22 March 2020 to 4 May 2020, with the same period in 2019 serving as a reference.
Results: During the first lockdown there was a significant increase in the number of emergency missions with respect to psychiatric cases. A substantial rise in substance-associated deployments was observed. Moreover, there was an increase in the proportion of psychiatric patients who did not meet emergency criteria. Suicidal tendencies and agitation status played a minor role during the lockdown.
Conclusion: The lockdown had a notable impact on the frequency and profile of emergency physician calls in the metropolitan area studied. The substantial increase in substance-associated callouts can be interpreted as both a deterioration in access to the healthcare system and an expression of the increased stress faced by the general population and vulnerable groups in particular.