Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Elective Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: Lessons to Be Learned

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elective and Emergency Surgeries, and Postoperative Mortality in a Brazilian Metropolitan Area: A Time-Series Cohort Study

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a worldwide challenge, leading to radical changes in surgical services. The primary objective of the study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on elective and emergency surgeries in a Brazilian metropolitan area. The secondary objective was to compare the postoperative hospital mortality before and during the pandemic.

Patients and Methods

Time-series cohort study including data of all patients admitted for elective or emergency surgery at the hospitals in the Public Health System of Federal District, Brazil, between March 2018 and February 2022, using data extracted from the Hospital Information System of Brazilian Ministry of Health (SIH/DATASUS) on September 30, 2022. A causal impact analysis was used to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on elective and emergency surgeries and hospital mortality.

Results

There were 174,473 surgeries during the study period. There was a reduction in overall (absolute effect per week: -227.5; 95% CI: -307.0 to -149.0), elective (absolute effect per week: -170.9; 95% CI: -232.8 to -112.0), and emergency (absolute effect per week: -57.7; 95% CI: -87.5 to -27.7) surgeries during the COVID-19 period. Comparing the surgeries performed before and after the COVID-19 onset, there was an increase in emergency surgeries (53.0% vs 68.8%, P < 0.001) and no significant hospital length of stay (P = 0.112). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on postoperative hospital mortality was not statistically significant (absolute effect per week: 2.1, 95% CI: -0.01 to 4.2).

Conclusion

Our study showed a reduction in elective and emergency surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to disruptions in surgical services. These findings highlight that it is crucial to implement effective strategies to prevent the accumulation of surgical waiting lists in times of crisis and improve outcomes for surgical patients.

Prevalence and Determinants of Self-Medication Practices among Cardiovascular Patients from Béja, North West Tunisia: A Community-Pharmacy-Based Survey

In Tunisia, self-medication is a common practice, and there is a continual rise in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Given the lack of data on the self-medication practices (SMPs) among cardiovascular patients in this area, the present study aimed to identify the prevalence and determinants of SMPs among cardiovascular patients in the city of Béja. A community-pharmacy-based survey was conducted among selected cardiovascular patients in Béja, Tunisia, from May 2021 to June 2021. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire provided by pharmacists during in-person surveys with patients. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, while Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. The frequency of self-medication among the 150 respondents was 96%; 70.14% of participants reported that the primary reason why people engage in self-medication is the existence of an old prescription. The most prevalent conditions leading patients to self-medicate were headaches (100%), fever (83.33%), toothache (65.97%), and dry cough (47.92%). The most frequently self-administered drugs were paracetamol (100%), antibiotics (56.94%), and antitussives (47.92%). The results of our study indicate that SMPs among Tunisian cardiovascular patients have a high prevalence. With this in mind, healthcare practitioners should ask their patients about their self-medication practices and advise cardiovascular patients about the risks and benefits associated with this practice.

Operative trends for pancreatic and hepatic malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routine health care, including many elective and non-cancer operations in the United States. Most hepato-pancreato-biliary malignancy patients require outpatient imaging, tissue sampling, and staging, and many undergo neoadjuvant therapy before operative intervention. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on hepato-pancreato-biliary oncologic operations and to determine whether trends in neoadjuvant therapy were altered by the pandemic.

METHODS

Adult patients in the United States undergoing oncologic operations for pancreatic, primary and secondary hepatic malignancies, with or without neoadjuvant therapy, were extracted from the Vizient Clinical Data Base. Control chart analysis was used to plot trends over time and to determine whether changes were statistically significant. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests also compared monthly operative volume from pre-pandemic (12 month) and pandemic (28 months) periods.

RESULTS

A total of 36,553 patients were identified over 40 months. Mean monthly pancreatic oncologic operations were unaffected by the pandemic (P = .257). Operations for pancreatic oncologic operations with prior neoadjuvant therapy increased throughout the pandemic (P = .002). Oncologic operations for primary and secondary hepatic malignancies were significantly reduced for 4 and 2 months, respectively, at the beginning of the pandemic but returned to their pre-pandemic baseline within 4 months (P = .169 and P = .598).

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic operation volumes for cancer did not change, but pancreatic operations after neoadjuvant therapy continued to increase during the pandemic. Operations for hepatic malignancy were transiently disrupted but quickly normalized. These observations suggest that surgery for hepato-pancreato-biliary malignancies was prioritized during the pandemic.

Impact of Pre-Infection COVID-19 Vaccination on the Incidence and Severity of Post-COVID Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review critically evaluated the impact of a pre-infection COVID-19 vaccination on the incidence and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome and aimed to assess the potential protective effect across different vaccines and patient demographics. This study hypothesized that vaccination before infection substantially reduces the risk and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome. In October 2023, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across three databases, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, focusing on studies published up to that date. Utilizing a wide array of keywords, the search strategy adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in the Open Science Framework. The inclusion criteria comprised studies focusing on patients with a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included a total of 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria, analyzing more than 10 million patients with a mean age of 50.6 years, showing that the incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions post-vaccination was as low as 2.4%, with a significant reduction in mortality risk (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58-0.74). The prevalence of post-COVID-19 syndrome symptoms was lower in vaccinated individuals (9.5%) compared to unvaccinated (14.6%), with a notable decrease in activity-limiting symptoms (adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.48-0.73). Vaccinated patients also showed a quicker recovery and return to work (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.04-1.79). The pooled odds ratio of 0.77 indicates that vaccination is associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of developing post-COVID-19 syndrome (95% CI 0.75-0.79). Despite the protective effects observed, a substantial heterogeneity among the studies was noted. In conclusion, a pre-infection COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a significant reduction in the risk and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome. However, the observed heterogeneity across studies suggests a need for further research with standardized methods to fully comprehend vaccine efficacy against long COVID.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on endocrine operations in the United States

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the United States (US) healthcare system. Endocrine operations are predominantly elective and were likely affected. Therefore, our aim was to determine the effect of the pandemic on endocrine operations.

STUDY DESIGN

The Vizient Clinical Data Base® was examined for cases from 1/2019-12/2022 using ICD10 and CPT codes for thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal operations. Control chart analysis identified trends in operative volume. Negative binomial regression was utilized to analyze demographic trends.

RESULTS

Monthly volumes for all operations from 515 hospitals decreased at the beginning of 2020, except for operations for adrenal malignancy. Inpatient operations (Thyroid -17.1%, Parathyroid -20.9%, p ​< ​0.001 for both) experienced more significant and longer lasting disruptions than outpatient operations (Thyroid -2.6%, p ​= ​0.883, Parathyroid -9.1%, p ​= ​0.098).

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted endocrine operations across the US. While all adrenal operations and outpatient thyroid and parathyroid operations have returned to pre-pandemic levels, inpatient operations for thyroid and parathyroid remain decreased.

Three-Year Analysis of the Rectal Cancer Care Trajectory after the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global pandemic period from 2020 to 2022 caused important alterations in oncology care. This study aimed to describe the trends and variations in patient characteristics, comorbidities, and treatment approaches during this time in Romania. We conducted a retrospective database search to identify patients with rectal cancer who underwent surgical intervention between 2020 and 2022 and the year 2019, which served as a pre-pandemic period control. This study included 164 patients, with a yearly increase of approximately 10% in surgical interventions noted from 2020 (1709 interventions) to 2022 (2118 interventions), but an overall 34.4% decrease compared with the pre-pandemic period. Notable shifts were observed in the type of surgeries performed, with laparoscopic procedures doubling from 2020 (25%) to 2022 (47.5%), confirming the decrease in emergency presentations during the last year of the COVID-19 pandemic and a recovery to normality with planned, elective interventions. Elective interventions increased significantly in 2022 (79.7%) compared with the previous years (p = 0.043), with a concurrent rise in neoadjuvant therapy uptake in 2022 (35.6%). However, significant alterations in the TNM staging, from 12.5% stage IV cases in 2020 to 25.4% in 2022 (p = 0.039), indicated an increased diagnosis of advanced stages of rectal cancer as the years progressed. There was a significant difference in albumin levels over the years (p = 0.019) and in the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores (from 6.2% ASA stage IV in 2020 to 16.9% in 2022), denoting an increase in case complexity (p = 0.043). This study reveals a trend of increasing surgical interventions and the prevalence of more advanced stages of rectal cancer during the pandemic years. Despite the subtle fluctuations in various patient characteristics and treatment approaches, notable shifts were documented in the severity at diagnosis and surgery types, pointing toward more advanced disease presentations and changes in surgical strategies over the period studied. Nevertheless, the trends in ICU admission rates and mortality did not alter significantly during the pandemic period.

COVID-19 Effect on Surgery for Gastrointestinal Malignancies: Have Operative Volumes Recovered?

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 disrupted elective operations, cancer screening, and routine medical care while simultaneously overwhelming hospital staff and supplies. Operations for gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies rely on endoscopic screening, staging, and neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), each of which was disrupted by the pandemic. The aim was to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the US national rates of gastrointestinal oncologic operations.

METHODS

The Vizient Clinical Data Base® was queried for oncologic operations for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal malignancies with and without NAT from March 2019 to March 2022. Control chart analysis examined operative volume over time while Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare mean monthly volume before and during the pandemic.

RESULTS

A total of 95,912 patients were identified over 36 months; 5.8% esophageal, 6.3% gastric, 77.5% colonic, and 10.4% rectal operations. Esophageal operative volume decreased for 9 months during the pandemic and was significantly lower during than before the pandemic (p=0.002). Gastric operations decreased for 10 months early in the pandemic, but rebounded so that after 2 years volumes were unchanged (p=0.49). Colonic operations experienced a sharp decrease for 4 months at the beginning of the pandemic, but volumes quickly increased and overall were unchanged (p=0.29). Rectal operations decreased for 13 months and were significantly lower during than before the pandemic (p=0.018). Oncologic operations for patients receiving NAT varied.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 significantly disrupted the volume of gastrointestinal oncologic operations in the USA. Esophageal and rectal oncologic operations experienced prolonged and significant reductions while gastric and colonic oncologic operations transiently decreased but rebounded during the pandemic.

Global elective breast- and colorectal cancer surgery performance backlogs, attributable mortality and implemented health system responses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

Globally, 28.4 million non-emergent ('elective') surgical procedures have been deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elective breast- or colorectal cancer (CRC) procedure backlogs and attributable mortality, globally. Further, we evaluated the interaction between procedure deferrals and health systems, internationally. Relevant articles from any country, published between December 2019-24 November 2022, were identified through searches of online databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) and by examining the reference lists of retrieved articles. We organised health system-related findings thematically per the Structures-Processes-Outcomes conceptual model by Donabedian (1966). Of 337 identified articles, we included 50. Eleven (22.0%) were reviews. The majority of included studies originated from high-income countries (n = 38, 76.0%). An ecological, modelling study elucidated that global 12-week procedure cancellation rates ranged from 68.3%-73%; Europe and Central Asia accounted for the majority of cancellations (n = 8,430,348) and sub-Saharan Africa contributed the least (n = 520,459). The percentage reduction in global, institutional elective breast cancer surgery activity ranged from 5.68%-16.5%. For CRC, this ranged from 0%-70.9%. Significant evidence is presented on how insufficient pandemic preparedness necessitated procedure deferrals, internationally. We also outlined ancillary determinants of delayed surgery (e.g., patient-specific factors). The following global health system response themes are presented: Structural changes (i.e., hospital re-organisation), Process-related changes (i.e., adapted healthcare provision) and the utilisation of Outcomes (i.e., SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence among patients or healthcare personnel, postoperative pulmonary complication incidence, hospital readmission, length of hospital stay and tumour staging) as indicators of health system response efficacy. Evidence on procedure backlogs and attributable mortality was limited, partly due to insufficient, real-time surveillance of cancer outcomes, internationally. Elective surgery activity has decreased and cancer services have adapted rapidly, worldwide. Further research is needed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on cancer mortality and the efficacy of health system mitigation measures, globally.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Gyne-Oncological Treatment-A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis of a German University Hospital with 30,525 Patients

The study pursues the objective of drawing a comparison between the data of gyne-oncology, gynecology, and obstetrics patient collectives of a German university hospital regarding the progression of patient number and corresponding treatment data during the five-year period of 2017-2021 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gyne-oncological treatment. Descriptive assessment is based on data extracted from the database of the hospital controlling system QlikView^® for patients hospitalized at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Marburg University Hospital. Gynecology and gyne-oncology experience a maintained decline in patient number (n_Gynecology: -6% 2019 to 2020, -5% 2019 to 2021; n_{Gyne-Oncology}: -6% 2019 to 2020, -2% 2019 to 2021) with varying effects on the specific gyne-oncological main diagnoses. Treatment parameters remain unchanged in relative assessment, but as gyne-oncology constitutes the dominating revenue contributor in gynecology (35.1% of patients, 52.9% of revenue, 2021), the extent of the decrease in total revenue (-18%, 2019 to 2020, -14%, 2019 to 2021) surpasses the decline in patient number. The study displays a negative impact on the gynecology care situation of a German university hospital for the entire pandemic, with an even greater extent on gyne-oncology. This development not only endangers the quality of medical service provision but collaterally pressurizes gynecology service providers.

The Challenges of Colorectal Cancer Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania: A Three-Year Retrospective Study

The predictions on the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on access to medical services in Romania predicted a 35% drop in oncological hospitalizations in 2020 compared to the previous decade, raising the hypothesis that patients with colorectal cancer can become indirect victims of the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the aim of the current research was to observe how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced colorectal cancer surgery in Romania, to determine the level of addressability towards specialized care, to compare the cancer staging between the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods, and to observe the risk factors for disease progression. This retrospective study was spread over three years, respectively, from March 2019 to March 2022, and included a total of 198 patients with a history of colorectal cancer surgery. It was decided to perform a parallel comparison of 2019, 2020, and 2021 to observe any significant changes during the pandemic. Our clinic encountered a significant decrease in all interventions during the pandemic; although the number of CRC surgeries remained constant, the cases were more difficult, with significantly more patients presenting in emergency situations, from 31.3% in 2019 to 50.0% in 2020 and 57.1% in 2021. Thus, the number of elective surgeries decreased significantly. The proportion of TNM (tumor-node-metastasis) staging was, however, statistically significant between the pre-pandemic and pandemic period. In 2019, 13.3% of patients had stage IIa, compared with 28.8% in 2020 and 13.1% in 2021. Similarly, the proportion of very advanced colorectal cancer was higher during the pandemic period of 2020 and 2021 (12.0% in 2019 vs. 12.5% in 2020 and 25.0% in 2021), which was represented by a significantly higher proportion of patients with bowel perforation. Patients with an advanced TNM stage had a 6.28-fold increased risk of disease progression, followed by lymphovascular invasion (HR = 5.19). However, the COVID-19 pandemic, represented by admission years 2020 and 2021, did not pose a significant risk for disease progression and mortality. In-hospital mortality during the pandemic also did not change significantly. After the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, it would be advisable to conduct a widespread colorectal cancer screening campaign in order to identify any instances of the disease that went undetected during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.