The main diseases affecting the elderly are chronic degenerative, which added to the frequent comorbidity of this group, require greater concern on the part of health care institutions and greater use of high complexity services. This study aimed to describe the care of the elderly by the Mobile Emergency Service SAMU in the municipality of Catanduva-SP, Brazil, based on attendance records to individuals older than 59 years there performed. We analyzed demographic data, vital signs, according to gender service types, level of health care indicated for resolution of the occurrence of events and schedules relationship between age groups and medical and clinical traumatic occurrences; 42,629 patients were seen, most women 55%; the average age was 74.2 years. There were significant differences in vital signs when comparing genders. Most frequent occurrences were classified as the clinical disease, followed by social demands and in-hospital transfers. There was an increase of clinical acute and traumatic injuries in older age groups, and 77.9% of visits required a fixed unit of service for continuing care. It was also found predominance of patients during waking hours. We observed higher rates of events with increasing age and increased use of tertiary hospital care after-occurrences, which is characteristic, in general, of the hospital-centered model.
Prehospital Care; Emergency Medicine; Epidemiology, Descriptive; Emergency Medical Services; Elderly
