Emergency Services Capacity of a Rural Community in Guatemala.

Introduction: Access to emergency care is an essential part of the health system. Improving access to emergency services in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) decreases mortality and reduces global disparities; however, few studies have assessed emergency services resources in LMICs. To guide f...

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Publicado en:Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 746 - 754
Autores principales: Hughes, Matthew, Schmidt, Jessica, Svenson, James
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health Sep2022
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Sep2022
      vid: 23
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      pub: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health
      place: Orange, California
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        10.5811/westjem.2022.7.56258
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        atl: Emergency Services Capacity of a Rural Community in Guatemala.
      aug:
        au:
          Hughes, Matthew
          Schmidt, Jessica
          Svenson, James
        affil: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin
      sug:
        subj:
          Emergency Medical Services
          Rural Population Guatemala
          Health Services, Indigenous
          Emergency Care
          Guatemala
          Human
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Health Facilities
          Hospitals, Private
          Hospitals, Public
          Confidence Intervals
          Descriptive Statistics
      ab: Introduction: Access to emergency care is an essential part of the health system. Improving access to emergency services in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) decreases mortality and reduces global disparities; however, few studies have assessed emergency services resources in LMICs. To guide future improvements in care, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the emergency services capacity of a rural community in Guatemala serving a mostly indigenous population. Methods: We performed an exhaustively sampled cross-sectional survey of all healthcare facilities providing urgent and emergent care in the four largest cities surrounding Lake Atitlán using the Emergency Services Resource Assessment Tool (ESRAT). Results: Of 17 identified facilities, 16 agreed to participate and were surveyed: nine private hospitals; four public clinics; and three public hospitals, including the region's public departmental hospital. All facilities provided emergency services 24/7, and a dedicated emergency unit was available at 67% of hospitals and 75% of clinics. A dedicated physician was present in the emergency unit during the day at 67% of hospitals and 75% of clinics. Hospitals had a significantly higher percentage of available equipment compared to clinics (85% vs 54%, mean difference 31%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 23-37%; P = 0.004). There was no difference in availability of laboratory tests between public and private hospitals or between cities. Private hospitals had access to a significantly higher percentage of medications compared to clinics (56% vs 27%, mean difference 29%; 95% CI 9-49%; P = 0.024). Conclusion: We found a high availability of emergency services and universal availability of personal protective equipment but a severe shortage of critical medications in clinics, and widespread shortage of pediatric equipment.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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