Implementation of a flowchart in emergency unit during the pandemic of COVID-19

Abstract Objective to describe the experience of the health team in the implementation of a flowchart in an Emergency Care Unit (ECU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method descriptive study with experience report on the implementation of a flowchart of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a ECU in Ceará, Brazil, between March and July 2020, where around 116 professionals were involved, performing actions such as registration, risk classification, clinical evaluation and physical examination, immediate notification, collection of laboratory tests, collection of nasopharynx swab, hospitalization and insertion in the transfer regulation center, based on the Ministry of Health (MH). Results the increase in cases of COVID-19 brought the need to reorganize the flow of care in health services and one of the strategies performed in the ECU occurred through the implementation of a flowchart that ensured agility in the dynamics of care provided to the user with respiratory symptoms, allowing clinical management and application of appropriate sanitary measures, as the MH governs, as well as the early diagnosis of cases of infection by the new coronavirus. Conclusion and implications for the practice the implementation of the flowchart streamlined the identification of possible positive cases, reduced the time to start care for this patient, and the exposure of the patient and health professional.