Prehospital Emergency Service Use for Substance-Related Issues before and during COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Substance Use Disorders

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare systems globally.
• Individuals with substance use disorders faced disproportionate challenges during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate prehospital emergency medical service (EMS) utilization for substance-related health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To compare changes in EMS use for substance-related issues between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of prehospital EMS calls in Turkiye.
• Categorization of calls into pre-COVID-19 (May 2019-March 2020) and COVID-19 (March 2020-January 2021) periods.
• Comparison of sociodemographic features, reasons for calls, and dispatch outcomes between the two periods.

Main Results:

• A decrease in EMS calls from individuals aged 18 and under, and an increase from those aged 65 and over during the COVID-19 period.
• Increased EMS calls for suicide and transfers, with a decrease in court-ordered treatment applications during the COVID-19 period.
• No significant difference in dispatch outcomes between the periods.

Conclusions:

• The elderly population is at higher risk for substance-related medical emergencies.
• Suicide attempts are a significant concern among individuals with substance use.
• Increased demand for ambulance transfers may strain prehospital emergency care, necessitating preparedness for future emergencies, especially for the elderly and suicide attempters.