Effects of COVID-19 on the admissions of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: the West Greece experience.
Neurol Sci 2021;
42:2167-2172. [PMID:
33745041 PMCID:
PMC7981384 DOI:
10.1007/s10072-021-05190-6]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background
Acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to aneurysmal rupture is a devastating vascular disease accounting for 5% of strokes. COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in elective and emergency admissions in the majority of neurosurgical centers. The main hypothesis was that fear of COVID-19 may have prevented patients with critical medical or surgical emergencies from actively presenting in emergency departments and outpatient clinics.
Methods
We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study searching our institutional data regarding the incidence of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and compare the admissions in two different periods: the pre COVID-19 with the COVID-19 period.
Results
The study cohort was comprised of a total of 99 patients. The mean (SD) weekly case rate of patients with SAH was 1.1 (1.1) during the pre-COVID-19 period, compared to 1.7 (1.4) during the COVID-19 period. Analysis revealed that the volume of admitted patients with SAH was 1.5-fold higher during the COVID period compared to the pre-COVID period and this was statistically significant (ExpB = 1.5, CI 95% 1–2.3, p = 0.044). Difference in mortality did not reach any statistical significance between the two periods (p = 0.097), as well as patients’ length of stay (p = 0.193).
Conclusions
The presented data cover a more extended time period than so far published reports; it is reasonable that our recent experience may well be demonstrating a general realistic trend of overall increase in aneurysmal rupture rates during lockdown. Hospitalization of patients with SAH cannot afford any reductions in facilities, equipment, or personnel if optimum outcomes are desirable.
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