Loneliness in the Practice of Emergency Medical Teams: A Case Study

Abstract

Background. Loneliness is a common phenomenon among human populations worldwide. Elderly people are particularly affected by loneliness due to difficulties in using communicators (telephone, social media) providing remote contact. National Emergency Medical Service (EMS) entities are the units responsible for undertaking medical rescue operations on the scene of an incident and qualified patient transport. The ambulance equipment, including measuring and monitoring devices, dressing articles, pharmaceuticals and procedures used by medical rescue teams are dedicated mainly to urgent cases. Material and methods. The study comprised a 3-year retrospective analysis of trips performed by the EMS between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022, to a female patient living alone. The following measures were calculated to characterize the variables: number (n) and frequency (%), in addition Min, Max, Mean and Standard Deviation (SD). Results. In the period under observation, 49 EMS interventions were performed. There were 1085 days (2 years; 11 months; 21 days) between the first and last intervention under observation. The highest intensity of calls occurred in March 2020 (n=9), and May 2020 (n=10); the largest intervals between the calls occurred in the second half of 2022. The share of events in particular years was as follows: 2020 (n=33), 2021 (n=10), 2022 (n=6). Conclusions. Loneliness and lack of care from the family affects the condition of chronic diseases. The frequency of EMS calls in the described case was higher at night. An increase in the frequency of interventions corresponded with the period of the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Poland as a new unknown threat. Predominantly pharmacology in the form of sedatives, analgesics and drugs lowering hypertension, was used which was a response to the needs of the patient's clinical condition.