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Brigo F, Brigiari G, Mian M, Turcato G, Sibilio S, Zaboli A. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, its related social restriction measures and vaccination campaign on emergency department attendances for epileptic seizures: An interrupted time-series analysis. Epilepsy Behav 2024; 154:109763. [PMID: 38554646 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.109763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
AIM To investigate the impact of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, its related social restriction measure (national lockdown) and vaccination campaign on emergency department (ED) accesses for epileptic seizures. METHODS Retrospective observational analysis conducted on a consecutive cohort of patients who sought medical care at the ED of the General Hospital of Merano, Italy, from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2021. We investigated the monthly ED attendances for epileptic seizures between the periods before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national lockdown (March 2020) using an interrupted time-series analysis with data standardized for 1000 accesses/month. As a further temporal cutoff, we used the start of the national vaccination campaign. RESULTS Between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2021, a total of 415,005 ED attendances were recorded; 1,254 (0.3 %) were due to epileptic seizures. No significant difference was found in the rate of standardized ED accesses for epileptic seizures in March 2020 (time point of interest) to the pre-pandemic trend (0.33/1000; 95 %CI: -1.05 to 1.71; p = 0.637). Similarly, there was no difference between the pre- and post-pandemic trends (-0.02/1000; 95 %CI: -0.11 to 0.06; p = 0.600). When adopting January 2021 as time point of interest, we found no difference to the pre-vaccination trend (0.83/1000; 95 %CI: -0.48 to 2.15), and no difference in the pre- and post-vaccination trends (-0.12/1000; 95 %CI: -0.27 to 0.04). CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic and its related social restrictions (lockdown), as well as the COVID-19 national vaccination campaign, had little impact on ED accesses for epileptic seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Brigo
- Innovation, Research and Teaching Service (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Gloria Brigiari
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Michael Mian
- Innovation, Research and Teaching Service (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Bolzano, Italy; College of Health Care-Professions Claudiana, Bozen, Italy
| | - Gianni Turcato
- Department of Internal Medicine, Intermediate Care Unit, Hospital Alto Vicentino (AULSS-7), Santorso, Italy
| | - Serena Sibilio
- Institute of Nursing Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arian Zaboli
- Innovation, Research and Teaching Service (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Bolzano, Italy
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Wongsuwanphon S, Boonrumpai K, Sangvisut C, Hattasarn Y, Wongsanuphat S, Suphanchaimat R. Utilisation of and factors associated with non-COVID-19 healthcare services in public facilities amongst cross-border migrants in Thailand, 2019-2022. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:135. [PMID: 38195488 PMCID: PMC10777629 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17657-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is believed that the COVID-19 pandemic might disrupt routine healthcare services. A vulnerable group such as cross-border migrants is of critical concern if the pandemic affects their service utilisation. In this study, we aim to explore the impact of COVID-19 and other related factors on non-COVID-19 service amongst cross-border migrants in Thailand. METHODS We conducted an ecological time-series cross-sectional analysis using secondary data from 2019 to 2022, focusing on insured and non-insured migrants in a unit of a provincial monthly quarter. We obtained data on registered migrants from the Ministry of Labour and inpatient visits from the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). Our analysis involved descriptive statistics and a random-effects negative binomial regression, considering variables such as COVID-19 cases, number of hospital beds, registered regions, and COVID-19 waves. We assessed inpatient utilisation number and rate as our primary outcomes. RESULTS The admission numbers for insured and non-insured migrants in all regions increased 1.3-2.1 times after 2019 despite a decrease in the numbers of registered migrants. The utilisation of services for selected communicable and non-communicable diseases and obstetric conditions remained consistent throughout 2019-2022. The admission numbers and rates were not associated with an increase in COVID-19 incidence cases but significantly enlarged as time passed by compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (44.5-77.0% for insured migrants and 15.0-26.4% for non-insured migrants). Greater Bangkok saw the lowest admission rate amongst insured migrants, reflected by the incidence rate ratio of 5.7-27.5 relative to other regions. CONCLUSION The admission numbers and rates for non-COVID-19 healthcare services remained stable regardless of COVID-19 incidence. The later pandemic waves (Delta and Omicron variants) were related to an increase in admission numbers and rates, possibly due to disruptions in outpatient care, leading to more severe cases seeking hospitalisation. Lower admission rates in Greater Bangkok may be linked to the fragmentation of the primary care network in major cities and the disintegration of service utilisation data between private facilities and the MOPH. Future research should explore migrant healthcare-seeking behaviour at an individual level, using both quantitative and qualitative methods for deeper insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saruttaya Wongsuwanphon
- Department of Social Medicine, Pranangklao Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
| | - Krittinan Boonrumpai
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Chinnakrit Sangvisut
- Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yanisa Hattasarn
- Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suphanat Wongsanuphat
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Rapeepong Suphanchaimat
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
- International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
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Zhang N, Niu C, Li P, Du X, Zhao M, Li M, Jing W. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with epilepsy and epilepsy specialists. Epilepsy Behav 2023; 147:109389. [PMID: 37619465 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the global population experienced changes in diagnosis and treatment patterns. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with epilepsy (PWE) and epilepsy specialists in China. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated newly diagnosed PWE from January 2018 to January 2022 at Shanxi Bethune Hospital. The clinical characteristics of PWE and the prescription habits of epilepsy specialists were analyzed. We also explored changes in seizure control among PWE as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed the possible causes. RESULTS After excluding 49 PWE who were lost to follow-up, 421 PWE were included in the study. They were divided into a prepandemic group and a pandemic group, with December 2019 as the boundary. By comparing the two groups, we found that the duration between first symptom detection and diagnosis was longer in the pandemic group than in the prepandemic group. Epilepsy specialists preferred prescribing the fast-acting antiepileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) in the pandemic group. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 49.57% of PWE reported difficulties in accessing their epilepsy healthcare provider, and 26.96% reported that appointments with their providers occurred as usual. A lack of anti-seizure medication (ASM) availability was reported by 32.17% of subjects. An increase in seizure frequency was noted in 25.22% of the PWE during the pandemic. The factors increasing seizure frequency during the pandemic were fear of COVID-19, exacerbation of mental states, sleep deprivation, cancelation of regular medical visits, difficulties accessing epilepsy healthcare providers, and a lack of ASM availability. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic exposed PWE to harmful consequences mainly due to medical shortages and worse life states. During the pandemic, there were delays in the diagnosis of PWE, and doctors' prescription habits changed. We must consider the lessons learned during this period of social restrictions and employ recent technological advances to improve treatment for PWE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China; Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, China.
| | - Cailang Niu
- Department of Neurology, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Penghong Li
- Department of Neurology, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xueqing Du
- Department of Neurology, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Mina Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Mao Li
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China; Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Jing
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China; Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, China.
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