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Garcia L, de Virgilio C, Nahmias J, Keeley JA, Grigorian A. The Relationship Between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Pediatric Trauma. J Surg Res 2024; 298:169-175. [PMID: 38615550 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.03.034] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic created difficulties in access to care. There was also increased penetrating trauma in adults, which has been attributed to factors including increased firearm sales and social isolation. However, less is known about the relationship between the pandemic and pediatric trauma patients (PTPs). This study aimed to investigate the national incidence of penetrating trauma in PTPs, hypothesizing a higher rate with onset of the pandemic. We additionally hypothesized increased risk of complications and death in penetrating PTPs after the pandemic versus prepandemic. METHODS We included all PTPs (aged ≤17-years-old) from the 2017-2020 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database, dividing the dataset into two eras: prepandemic (2017-2019) and pandemic (2020). We performed subset analyses of the pandemic and prepandemic penetrating PTPs. Bivariate analyses and a multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS Of the 474,524 PTPs, 123,804 (26.1%) were from the pandemic year. The pandemic era had increased stab wounds (3.3% versus 2.8%, P > 0.001) and gunshot wounds (5.5% versus 4.0%, P < 0.001) compared to the prepandemic era. Among penetrating PTPs, the rates and associated risk of in-hospital complications (2.6% versus 2.8%, P = 0.23) (odds ratio 0.90, confidence interval 0.79-1.02, P = 0.11) and mortality (4.9% versus 5.0%, P = 0.58) (odds ratio 0.90, confidence interval 0.78-1.03, P = 0.12) were similar between time periods. CONCLUSIONS This national analysis confirms increased penetrating trauma, particularly gunshot wounds in pediatric patients following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this increase, there was no elevated risk of death or complications, suggesting that trauma systems adapted to the "dual pandemic" of COVID-19 and firearm violence in the pediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Garcia
- Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California.
| | | | - Jeffry Nahmias
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
| | - Jessica A Keeley
- Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
| | - Areg Grigorian
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
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2
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Patil UP, Gupta A, Heringman K, Hickman C, Paudel U, Wachtel EV. Post-discharge Care Practices, Challenges, and Outcomes in Newborn Infants of Mothers With SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Insights From Public Hospitals. Cureus 2024; 16:e58734. [PMID: 38779231 PMCID: PMC11110691 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The data regarding the care at home and outcomes in infants of mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 continue to evolve. There is a paucity of studies beyond the immediate newborn period. Our research aims to improve the understanding in these areas by studying the newborn population discharged from public hospitals in several boroughs of New York City (NYC) through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective The objective of this study is to assess parental perspective and describe post-discharge care practices, patterns of healthcare utilization, challenges in obtaining care, and outcomes in infants between six and 12 months of age born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 at the time of delivery. Methods We conducted an institutional review board (IRB)-approved multi-center retrospective cohort study of infants born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers at five NYC public hospitals between March and December of 2020. Clinical and demographic data were collected from electronic medical records. A phone interview of the caregivers using a standard questionnaire was conducted to collect data about care at home, healthcare utilization patterns, and challenges with access to healthcare. Results Our study cohort included 216 infants born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers with 16 (7.4%) mothers being symptomatic at discharge. Ten infants tested positive, and two showed symptoms before discharge. Two hundred seven (95.8%) infants were discharged home to their parents, and eight (3.7%) were transferred to other facilities. One hundred thirty-eight (66%) infants had at least one visit to the emergency room (ER) for various complaints where two were found to have COVID-19 with one needing hospitalization. One hundred seventy-two (79.6%) families responded to the phone interview. Most mothers (78%) cohabitated with their infants at home, and 70.3% elected to breastfeed. However, only 56.3% of mothers reported using all the recommended infection prevention practices at home. More than half (57%) of the families reported financial hardship related to the pandemic. Although 46.2% of patients missed their in-person health maintenance visits, telemedicine was highly utilized for follow-up with most being phone visits (70.3%). The majority of the infants (95.5%) remained up-to-date with their routine immunizations. Conclusions Our results suggest that infants born to SARS-CoV-2-infected mothers showed increased utilization of medical care and telemedicine between six and 12 months of age. Mothers reported low adherence to infection prevention practices at home; however, infants rarely showed clinically significant SARS-CoV-2 infection while maintaining high breastfeeding rates after discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday P Patil
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine/Pediatrics, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Arpit Gupta
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine/Pediatrics, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, New York, USA
| | - Kevin Heringman
- Pediatrics, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, New York, USA
| | - Cherbrale Hickman
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine/Pediatrics, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, New York, USA
| | - Umesh Paudel
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine/Pediatrics, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals/Harlem, New York, USA
| | - Elena V Wachtel
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine/Pediatrics, New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
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3
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Luo H, Moss ME, Webb MD, Winterbauer NL, Tucker-McLaughlin M, Yockey RA, Smith AW, Wright WG. The most common types of nontraumatic dental conditions among emergency department visits in North Carolina before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Dent Assoc 2024; 155:149-157. [PMID: 38069961 PMCID: PMC11044986 DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify the most common types of nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the variations in the most common NTDCs by patient age groups and rural or urban locations and the impact of COVID-19 on emergency department (ED) visits for NTDCs in North Carolina. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective data analysis of ED data from the North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiology Collection Tool. The authors estimated the proportions of NTDCs of all ED visits in 2019 and 2021 and ranked the proportions of the major categories of NTDCs by age groups and rural or urban locations. They used a multiple logistic regression model to assess the impact of COVID-19 on NTDCs. RESULTS By the first diagnosis, the proportion of NTDCs dropped from 1.1% in 2019 to 0.99% in 2021 (P < .001). Caries was specified as the third most common NTDC. Oral infection was the top NTDC among young (≤ 17 years) and older patients (≥ 65 years). No significant differences were found in NTDCs between rural and urban areas (P = .68). Children younger than 2 years (adjusted odds ratio, 4.36) and adults aged 18 through 44 years (adjusted odds ratio, 4.54) were more likely to visit the ED for NTDCs than those 75 years and older. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of NTDCs seen at the ED was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 than in 2019. The common NTDCs varied by age group but were similar in rural and urban areas. The most common NTDCs were related to toothache, oral infection, and caries. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS More efforts are needed to reduce ED visits for NTDCs.
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Samman K, Le CK, Burstein B, Rehimini S, Grenier A, Bertrand-Bureau C, Mallet M, Simonyan D, Berthelot S. Parents' perspective on pediatric emergency department visits for low-acuity conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional bicentric study. CAN J EMERG MED 2024; 26:31-39. [PMID: 38032525 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this study was to describe and compare the motivation of parents/guardians to bring children with low-acuity conditions to a tertiary-care pediatric emergency department (ED) versus a clinic before and after the pandemic. The secondary objectives were to describe and compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of the population studied and the impact of the pandemic on their access to primary care services. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study based on a survey administered to parents/guardians of patients presenting with low-acuity conditions at one of two EDs. RESULTS The respondents numbered 659. Children were brought to a pediatric ED generally because of the perceived urgency of the condition, the presumed resource availability in the pediatric ED and the unavailability of the primary care physician. However, most respondents (n = 438, 66.5%) indicated preference for a clinic. More respondents before than during the pandemic reported they had been unable to find a doctor outside the ED (48.6% before COVID vs 26.8% during COVID, p < 0.001) but patients during the pandemic were less likely to seek care in a primary care practice or walk-in clinic (30.0% during COVID vs 48.6% before COVID, p < 0.001). In addition, the number of respondents presenting with symptoms of infection decreased by more than half after the pandemic began while the proportion of musculoskeletal and psychiatric complaints doubled. CONCLUSION Although the pandemic has altered the landscape of presenting complaints and pediatric healthcare-seeking behaviors, most respondents indicated they would prefer to receive care in a clinic. This finding contradicts the view that most pediatric ED visits for low-acuity conditions are by choice rather than perceived necessity. Prioritizing improved access to primary care resources would better address the preferences and expectations of parents/guardians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karol Samman
- Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Régional de Lanaudière, St-Charles-Borromée, QC, Canada
| | - Cathie-Kim Le
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Brett Burstein
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Anthony Grenier
- Department of Family Medicine, GMF Nouvelle-Beauce, Sainte-Marie, QC, Canada
| | | | - Myriam Mallet
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Simon Berthelot
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé,, Québec, QC, Canada.
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Levine DA, Oh PS, Nash KA, Simmons W, Grinspan ZM, Abramson EL, Platt SL, Green C. Pediatric Mental Health Emergencies During 5 COVID-19 Waves in New York City. Pediatrics 2023; 152:e2022060553. [PMID: 37860839 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2022-060553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe the proportion of pediatric mental health emergency department (MH-ED) visits across 5 COVID-19 waves in New York City (NYC) and to examine the relationship between MH-ED visits, COVID-19 prevalence, and societal restrictions. METHODS We conducted a time-series analysis of MH-ED visits among patients ages 5 to 17 years using the INSIGHT Clinical Research Network, a database from 5 medical centers in NYC from January 1, 2016, to June 12, 2022. We estimated seasonally adjusted changes in MH-ED visit rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with predicted prepandemic levels, specific to each COVID-19 wave and stratified by mental health diagnoses and sociodemographic characteristics. We estimated associations between MH-ED visit rates, COVID-19 prevalence, and societal restrictions measured by the Stringency Index. RESULTS Of 686 500 ED visits in the cohort, 27 168 (4.0%) were MH-ED visits. The proportion of MH-ED visits was higher during each COVID-19 wave compared with predicted prepandemic trends. Increased MH-ED visits were seen for eating disorders across all waves; anxiety disorders in all except wave 3; depressive disorders and suicidality/self-harm in wave 2; and substance use disorders in waves 2, 4, and 5. MH-ED visits were increased from expected among female, adolescent, Asian race, high Child Opportunity Index patients. There was no association between MH-ED visits and NYC COVID-19 prevalence or NY State Stringency Index. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of pediatric MH-ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic was higher during each wave compared with the predicted prepandemic period, with varied increases among diagnostic and sociodemographic subgroups. Enhanced pediatric mental health resources are essential to address these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Levine
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - P Stephen Oh
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Katherine A Nash
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital, Columbia University, New York City, New York
| | - Will Simmons
- Department of Population Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Zachary M Grinspan
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Erika L Abramson
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Shari L Platt
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Cori Green
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
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Amirault JP, Porter JJ, Hirsch AW, Lipsett SC, Neuman MI. Diagnosis and Management of Pneumonia in Infants Less Than 90 Days of Age. Hosp Pediatr 2023; 13:694-707. [PMID: 37492932 DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2022-007062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current guidelines and recent studies on pediatric pneumonia pertain to children older than 3 months of age. Little information exists regarding the diagnostic evaluation, management, and outcomes of infants less than 90 days with pneumonia. METHODS We compared infants <90 days of age diagnosed with pneumonia across 38 US children's hospitals from 2016 to 2021 to children 90 days to 5 years of age. We evaluated whether differences exist in patient characteristics, diagnostic testing, antibiotic treatment, and outcomes between young infants and older children. Additionally, we assessed seasonal variability and trends over time in pneumonia diagnoses by age group. RESULTS Among 109 796 children diagnosed with pneumonia, 3128 (2.8%) were <90 days of age. Compared with older children, infants <90 days had more laboratory testing performed (88.6% vs 48.8%, P < .001; median number of laboratory tests 4 [interquartile range: 2-5] vs 0 [interquartile range: 0-3] respectively), with wide variation in testing across hospitals. Chest radiograph utilization did not differ by age group. Infants <90 days were more likely to be hospitalized and require respiratory support than older children. Seasonal variation was observed for pneumonia encounters in both age groups. CONCLUSIONS Infants <90 days with pneumonia were more likely to undergo laboratory testing, be hospitalized, and require respiratory support than children 90 days to 5 years of age. This may reflect inherent differences in the pathophysiology of pneumonia by age, the manner in which pneumonia is diagnosed, or possible overuse of testing in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine P Amirault
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John J Porter
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alexander W Hirsch
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Susan C Lipsett
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mark I Neuman
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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7
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Romanos-Sirakis E, Demissie S. Emergency department visits and hospitalizations for pediatric vaso-occlusive pain events during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70:e30213. [PMID: 36633226 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic altered all aspects of life, including healthcare. During the pandemic, social distancing led to decreased transmission of typical viral illnesses, leading to a decrease in these pediatric admissions. Studies have shown that pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations decreased during the pandemic, which may have led to some unmet healthcare needs and delays in treatment. Little is known about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED visits and hospitalizations specifically for pediatric sickle cell pain. A retrospective review across hospitals in the Northwell Health system was conducted to compare the ED visits and hospitalizations for pediatric patients with sickle cell pain during 2020 (the year of the pandemic), the following year (2021), and the 2 years prior to the pandemic (2018, 2019). The average length of stay for patients hospitalized with vaso-occlusive events was also compared between these years. Total 511 patient encounters for patients seen and discharged home from the ED and 985 hospitalization encounters were included over the 4-year timespan. ED visits per year decreased significantly in 2020 compared with the 2 years prior (p < .001): 91 visits in 2020, 162 visits in 2019, and 143 visits in 2018. The number of ED visits for pediatric vaso-occlusive events trended upward in 2021 to 115. Hospitalizations also decreased in 2020 compared to the 2 years prior (n = 202 vs 196; p < .001), compared with 298 in 2019 and 289 in 2018. The number of patients hospitalized remained stable in 2021 (n = 202 vs 196). There was a statistically significant increase in the median length of stay in 2020 compared to years prior (p = .002): median (interquartile range [IQR]): 4.0 days (2-6 days) in 2020 compared to 3.0 days (2-5 days) in 2018 and 2019. ED encounters and hospitalizations for pediatric patients with sickle cell disease pain decreased during the pandemic; however, admitted patients had a longer median length of stay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleny Romanos-Sirakis
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, SIUH Northwell Health, Staten Island, New York, USA.,Pediatric Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York, USA
| | - Seleshi Demissie
- Department of Biostatistics, SIUH Northwell Health, Staten Island, New York, USA
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Pérez Suárez E, Paniagua Calzón N, Pavlovic Nesic S, Claret Teruel G, Lera Carvallo E. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impact in asthmatic exacerbations emergency visits in Spain ✯. An Pediatr (Barc) 2023; 98:384-387. [PMID: 37062661 PMCID: PMC10040357 DOI: 10.1016/j.anpede.2023.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Svetlana Pavlovic Nesic
- Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital de Gran Canaria, Complejo Hospitalario Materno Infantil de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Gemma Claret Teruel
- Servicio de Urgencias Pediátricas, Hospital San Joan de Deu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Pérez Suárez E, Paniagua Calzón N, Pavlovic Nesic S, Claret Teruel G, Lera Carvallo E. [SARS-COV2 PANDEMIC IMPACT IN ASTHMATIC EXACERBATIONS EMERGENCY VISITS IN SPAIN.]. An Pediatr (Barc) 2023; 98:384-387. [PMID: 36741742 PMCID: PMC9884618 DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Pérez Suárez
- Servicio de Urgencias Pediátricas, Hospital Niño Jesús, Madrid, España,Autora para correspondencia
| | | | - Svetlana Pavlovic Nesic
- Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital de Gran Canaria, Complejo Hospitalario Materno Infantil de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España
| | - Gemma Claret Teruel
- Servicio de Urgencias Pediátricas, Hospital San Joan de Deu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, España
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Cozzi G, Molina Ruiz I, Giudici F, Romano S, Grigoletto V, Barbi E, Amaddeo A. Pediatric Emergency Cases in the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary-Level Emergency Setting. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:918286. [PMID: 35844743 PMCID: PMC9279893 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.918286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Emergency cases are uncommon events in the pediatric emergency setting. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by describing the number and type of pediatric emergency cases that arrived at the pediatric emergency department (PED) of a tertiary-level children's hospital in Italy. METHODS We performed a retrospective study, collecting the main features of pediatric emergency patients who arrived during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-February 2021) compared to the pre-pandemic period (March 2016-February 2020). RESULTS During the study period, 112,168 patients were visited at the PED, and 237 (0.21%) were emergency cases, median age of 4 years (IQR: 1-12). In the first year of the pandemic, 42 children were coded as emergency cases compared to 195 (49/year) during the pre-pandemic period. The proportion of emergency cases was stable (0.27% during the COVID-19 period versus 0.20% during the pre-COVID-19 period, p = 0.19). No differences were found regarding the age, gender, hour of arrival, and outcome of patients. We found a significant decrease in the proportion of emergency cases related to respiratory diseases (9/42, 21.4% during the COVID-19 period versus 83/195 during the pre-COVID-19 period (42.6%), p = 0.01). CONCLUSION In conclusion, our data suggest that the pandemic had a more significant impact on respiratory emergency cases than on pediatric emergencies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Cozzi
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Fabiola Giudici
- University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.,Unit of Biostatistics, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | | | | | - Egidio Barbi
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.,University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Amaddeo
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
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