Gynecological and obstetric interventions in the emergency medical service in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: : Functioning of the EMS during one year pre-pandemic compared to one year pandemic outbreak was analysed in relation to specific intervention groups alongside each other. Our observations focused on women requiring implementation of medical procedures and treatment by gynecology and obstetrics departments with the initial participation of EMS. Cases of both pregnant women and those with reproductive system diseases were analysed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a retrospective analysis of EMS interventions from the Łuków region in the two-year period from March 2019 to the end of February 2021 (one year before the epidemic - period I, and the year of the epidemic in Poland - period II). The material consisted of departure order flowsheet and the ambulance flowsheet records. RESULTS: In the 2-year period, there were 101 events that met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis, respectively 58 - period I and 43 - period II. In both periods, cases related to the commencement of the patient's labor outside the hospital ward are analyzed more often. The percentage share of interventions in the period before and during the pandemic for subsequent months of the year showed no significant correlations (χ2 = 14.886; p = 0.188). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the number of EMS interventions related to gynecological and obstetric events in the area covered by the analysis. The mean duration of EMS interventions to gynecological and obstetric conditions slightly increased during the epidemic period.