Atuação do serviço de atendimento móvel de urgências do Distrito Federal no contexto de pandemia por Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: The Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU-DF) of the Federal District experienced overload during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The objective was to analyze the services provided by SAMU-DF from January 2019 to December 2021. Method: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using SAMU-DF's database for the period before and during the pandemic. The study included all incidents attended via 192 calls during the studied period and referred to SAMU-DF's medical regulation team. Excluded were calls not transferred to the medical regulation team, whether due to primary care, lack of necessary information, prank calls, or any other situation not relevant to regulation-mediated care. Descriptive analysis of variables involved measures of central tendency and dispersion, as well as absolute and relative frequencies. Additionally, linear regression was used to assess the trend over the evaluated years. The service's capacity to absorb and adapt to service demands, along with outcomes, were presented in tables and graphs after statistical analysis using Stata software. Results: The total volume of 192-digit calls to SAMUDF included in the study was 868,539 during the investigated period. Throughout the period, SAMU-DF experienced a progressive increase in call volume, reflecting the evolution and extent of the pandemic: 25.89% (273,905) in 2019, 26.91% (284,656) in 2020, and 29.30% (309,978) in 2021. There was a balanced distribution by gender, with a predominance of adults and the elderly in recent years. Ceilândia had the highest number of calls. SAMU-DF demonstrated the ability to respond promptly, mobilize resources, and adapt service protocols to ensure service continuity, especially for interventions requiring immediate attention. It was noted that the average number of basic support ambulances decreased while the volume of services increased, highlighting the service's ability to face response challenges. Conclusion: The results of this research showed that SAMU-DF exhibited high capacity to absorb the new demands generated by the pandemic while also demonstrating significant adaptation to the context. The study warrants further refinement, involving greater dedication to processes and workforce, which undoubtedly are key factors in SAMU's response to the pandemic. Thus, the need for future and diverse approaches should encourage new researchers to analyze interactions between service capacity, team, process, and workforce, providing more insights to strengthen the Unified Health System (SUS) in the Federal District.