PEDIATRIC PATIENT DURING EMERGENCY MEDICAL TEAM INTERVENTION

Abstract

Aim: Analysis of Emergency Medical Teams’ responses to patients below 18 years of age in operational region of Kato¬wice Emergency Service between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2017. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of medical documentation issued by the dispatcher and by the P and S type EMS teams of Katowice Emergency Service between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2017 (n = 974839). Documents regarding response to patients below 18 years of age were included in research (n = 53643). Results: EMS teams’ responses to patients below 18 years of age were selected by patients’ date of birth. These came out to be 5,38% of all responses in the defined time period. P-type EMS teams were dispatched to pediatric patients most frequently. This number decreased in months of summer vacation (July and August). The average number of re¬sponses was calculated for 10 months, January-June and September-December (n = 2322,75) and for July and August (n = 1797). Comparing the average results revealed decrease of responses in summer vacation period by n = 22.63%. Further patients below 18 years of age were divided into 4 age groups. It has been observed that among group I and III there is no statistical significance regarding responses in given daytime interval and given year in the time of research. However among group II and IV significance is high (p = 0.016) for group II and (p = 0.028) for group IV. Distribution between responses by EMS-S teams and EMS-P teams in daytime intervals shows that at night (12:00 am-5:59 am) EMS-S team is most frequently dispatched to patients from first three age groups: group I (69% vs. 31%), group II (64% vs. 36%) and group III (57% vs. 43%). In each age group there is high statistical significance. Conclusions: Patient below 18 years of age is a problem for Emergency Medical Team because of very few responses, leading to lack of experience in examining such patients and undertaking emergency medical procedures. Research revealed relationship between EMS team responses in given months, daytime intervals, age and gender. Number of responses to patients aged 8-13 and 13-18 decreases during summer vacation months and also decreases at night; there are more responses to male patients.