Kim Jiyoung, Kim Choongrak, Park Song Yi
Department of Neurology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan 50612, Korea.
Sleep Disorder Center, Bio Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan 49241, Korea.
J Clin Med. 2021 Dec 24;11(1):94. doi: 10.3390/jcm11010094.
The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to identify the impact of COVID-19 on emergency medical services (EMS) processing times and transfers to the emergency department (ED) among patients with acute stroke symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Busan, South Korea. The total number of patients using EMS for acute stroke symptoms decreased by 8.2% from 1570 in the pre-COVID-19 period to 1441 during the COVID-19 period. The median (interquartile range) EMS processing time was 29.0 (23-37) min in the pre-COVID-19 period and 33.0 (25-41) minutes in the COVID-19 period ( < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the number of patients transferred to an ED with a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) (6.37%, < 0.001) and an increase in the number of patients transferred to two EDs nearby (2.77%, = 0.018; 3.22%, < 0.001). During the COVID-19 pandemic, EMS processing time increased. The number of patients transferred to ED with CSC was significantly reduced and dispersed. COVID-19 appears to have affected the stroke chain of survival by hindering entry into EDs with stroke centers, the gateway for acute stroke patients.
这项回顾性观察研究的目的是确定在韩国釜山，新冠疫情之前和期间，新冠病毒病（COVID-19）对急性卒中症状患者的紧急医疗服务（EMS）处理时间以及转至急诊科（ED）的影响。因急性卒中症状使用EMS的患者总数从新冠疫情前的1570例下降了8.2%，至新冠疫情期间的1441例。新冠疫情前EMS的中位（四分位间距）处理时间为29.0（23 - 37）分钟，新冠疫情期间为33.0（25 - 41）分钟（<0.001）。转至设有综合卒中中心（CSC）的ED的患者数量显著减少（6.37%，<0.001），转至附近两家ED的患者数量增加（2.77%，P = 0.018；3.22%，<0.001）。在新冠疫情期间，EMS处理时间增加。转至设有CSC的ED的患者数量显著减少且分布分散。新冠病毒病似乎通过阻碍进入设有卒中中心的ED（急性卒中患者的通道）而影响了卒中生存链。
