Structure of emergencies at the prehospital stage in Moldova from 2019-2020 years

Background: In the last 2 years, some changes have occurred in the structure of emergencies at the prehospital stage in the Republic of Moldova, being largely influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of the Prehospital Emergency Medical Service (PEMS) Request Sheets of the National Centre of Prehospital Emergency Medicine (NCPEM) of the Republic of Moldova for the years 2019-2020. Results: According to the nosological profile in 2020 at the prehospital stage, respiratory emergencies were on the first place with 23% of the 761.416 of total number of requests. On the second – cardiovascular (20.6%), on the third – neurological (13.3%), infectious – 3.1%. In 2019, on the first place – cardiovascular with 22.3% of the 845.572 of total number of requests, followed by respiratory – 19.3%, neurological – 13.6%, infectious – 2.2%. In 2020, on the first place were respiratory emergencies, which compared to 2019 increased practically by 4% and the infectious emergencies by almost 1%. The number of endotracheal intubation procedures and medical-assisted transportations practically doubled in y.2020 compared to y.2019. Conclusions: All these changes: increased respiratory and infectious emergencies, intubation procedures, and assisted-medical transportations, have occurred exeptionally due to COVID-19 infection.