Analysis of causes of Emergency Medical Service resuscitation teams being called to elderly patients

Radoslaw Owczuk, Magdalena A. Wujtewicz, Wioletta Sawicka, Maria Wujtewicz, Maria Szlyk-Augustyn, Anna Wadrzyk

Summary
In this study we have analysed the causes of Emergency Medical Service resuscitation teams being called to persons aged over 70 years during the year of 2001 in the city of Gdańsk. A total of 2016 call constituted 18.22% of all prehospital emergency medical interventions during the period. More female (60.81%) than male patients required aid. Medical and neurological problems predominated among the causes of EMS calls. Chest pain was the call reason in 20.88% of patients, and dyspnoea and simple fainting in 16.17% and 15.53% of cases respectively. Unconsciousness was recorded in 14.88%, brain stroke in 4.56% of patients. The number of EMS visits to persons with injuries was much lower, and constituted only 4.38% of all calls. During the period 22 effective CPRs were provided and 135 deceases occurred before EMS arrival. In 88.6% of cases the cause of calling was consistent with the actual situation found at the site.
Constant medical progress results in the acceleration of population ageing. In the USA during a five-year period an increase in the number of admissions of elderly patients to emergency departments was observed (1). It is believed that in an emergency medical intervention in a person over 65 years old, probability of his/her admission to hospital is five times higher than in a younger persons; similarly, the chance of admission of an elderly patient to the intensive care department is five times greater (2). Similar problems are observed in Poland, but there is a lack of publications about the use of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) by elderly patients in our country.

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