[Pre-hospital attendance to elders victims of violence in five Brazilian capitals].

This article reviews the characteristics and operation in the daily routine of a pre-hospital care to the elderly victims of violence and accidents in five capitals (Manaus, Recife, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba). Besides that, it analyses their abilities, and potential obstacles. It was based on the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative methods analyzing data from 80 departments of mobile and fixed pre-hospitals: 32 in Manaus, 18 in Recife, 10 in Brasilia, 12 in Rio de Janeiro and eight in Curitiba. Among the findings are the differences in size and diversity of occupational categories and difficulties of the teams to identify, serve and report cases for lack of training, limited preventive action, almost no involvement and guidance to the family, practically no attention to the perpetrator; incipient articulation and partnership network, especially regarding on pre-hospital services and the hospital.