Emergency Medical Service Facilitated Geriatric Emergency Department Visits in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction:To determine if lockdown measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic changed the frequency and epidemiology of geriatric patient emergency medical service (EMS) facilitated visits to the emergency department (ED) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.Method:A retrospective chart review was conducted comparing ED presentations of patients over 65 years of age presenting to two academic hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario via EMS between March 17, 2020, and July 15, 2020 (the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic) to March 17, 2019, and July 15, 2019 (pre-pandemic).Results:Total EMS facilitated geriatric ED number of visits decreased by 17.3% during the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, relative to the same seasonal time frame in 2019 (March 17- July 15). Visits were more dramatically decreased in the first 8 weeks after the pandemic was declared but then recovered to pre-pandemic levels thereafter. More geriatric patients visiting the ED via EMS were admitted during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to 2019. However, the acuity and epidemiology of visits remained the same during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to 2019.Conclusion:Lockdown measures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with decreased geriatric EMS ED visits in the initial two months after the pandemic was declared. Visit numbers recovered as the first wave ended. The epidemiology, as well as the overall acuity, did not change.