Moskal Adrian, Kowalski Sebastian, Żak-Kowalska Karolina, Al-Wathinani Ahmed M, Goniewicz Krzysztof, Goniewicz Mariusz
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
New Medical Techniques Specialist Hospital of the Holy Family, Rudna Mała, Poland.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 May 9;104(19):e42416. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000042416.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems, disrupting the management of chronic conditions such as hypertension. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hypertension management by emergency medical teams (EMTs) in southeastern Poland. A retrospective analysis was conducted using medical emergency activity cards from EMTs in southeastern Poland. The study included 1795 cases of primary hypertension (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition: I-10), comparing data from the pre-pandemic period (April 1, 2019-March 31, 2020) to the pandemic period (April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021). Demographic characteristics, blood pressure measurements, pharmacological interventions, and transport decisions were analyzed using Chi-square tests for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables. The frequency of hypertension-related emergency calls remained stable between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (P = .805). Women accounted for 68.6% (N = 1232) of cases, and the mean age of patients was 63.4 years (SD = 15.2), with no significant age or sex differences between the 2 periods. The mean initial systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly higher before the pandemic (189.85 mm Hg) compared to during the pandemic (185.57 mm Hg, P < .001). The proportion of patients with severe hypertension (SBP ≥ 180 mm Hg) decreased from 70.7% to 66.1%, while mild hypertension cases increased from 5.3% to 7.1% (P = .046). The administration of hydroxyzine increased significantly (38.2% vs 45.1%, P = .003), reflecting a greater focus on managing anxiety-related symptoms. Additionally, EMTs treated more patients at the scene rather than transporting them to the emergency department (76.1% vs 62.4%, P < .001), indicating a shift in EMT decision-making to reduce hospital exposure and optimize resource allocation. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the prehospital management of hypertension, leading to lower initial SBP readings, increased anxiolytic use, and reduced hospital transport rates. Age and sex distribution remained stable across both periods. These findings highlight the need for flexible emergency response protocols that integrate mental health considerations and enhance on-site hypertension management. Future research should assess the long-term outcomes of these adaptations and explore strategies to improve prehospital hypertension care in future public health emergencies.
2019年冠状病毒病(COVID-19)大流行给医疗系统带来了前所未有的挑战,扰乱了高血压等慢性病的管理。本研究调查了COVID-19大流行对波兰东南部紧急医疗团队(EMT)管理高血压的影响。利用波兰东南部EMT的医疗急救活动卡进行了回顾性分析。该研究纳入了1795例原发性高血压病例(国际疾病分类第10版:I-10),比较了大流行前时期(2019年4月1日至2020年3月31日)和大流行时期(2020年4月1日至2021年3月31日)的数据。使用卡方检验分析分类变量,使用t检验分析连续变量,对人口统计学特征、血压测量、药物干预和转运决策进行了分析。高血压相关急救电话的频率在大流行前和大流行时期保持稳定(P = 0.805)。女性占病例的68.6%(N = 1232),患者的平均年龄为63.4岁(标准差 = 15.2),两个时期之间在年龄或性别上无显著差异。与大流行期间(185.57毫米汞柱)相比,大流行前的平均初始收缩压(SBP)显著更高(189.85毫米汞柱,P < 0.001)。重度高血压(SBP≥180毫米汞柱)患者的比例从70.7%降至66.1%,而轻度高血压病例从5.3%增至7.1%(P = 0.046)。羟嗪的使用显著增加(38.2%对45.1%,P = 0.003),这反映出对管理焦虑相关症状的更多关注。此外,EMT在现场治疗的患者更多,而不是将他们转运到急诊科(76.1%对62.4%,P < 0.001),这表明EMT的决策发生了转变,以减少医院暴露并优化资源分配。COVID-19大流行显著改变了高血压的院前管理,导致初始SBP读数降低、抗焦虑药物使用增加以及医院转运率降低。两个时期的年龄和性别分布保持稳定。这些发现凸显了制定灵活的应急响应方案的必要性,该方案应纳入心理健康考量并加强现场高血压管理。未来的研究应评估这些调整的长期结果,并探索在未来公共卫生紧急事件中改善院前高血压护理的策略。