Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate how the pandemic and social constraints have affected the number of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations at the current study institution. Methods: In the pediatric emergency department of the Maternity and Children Hospital in AlAhsa, Saudi Arabia, a retrospective, single-centered, observational comparison study was carried out between January and February 2020, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and between January and February 2021, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Comparisons were made between dispositions, diagnoses, visit information, and demographics. Results: Compared to the same period in 2016, the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a significant decline in ED referrals (from 16,047 to 12,608) and a decrease in hospital admission rates (from 458 to 371). During the pandemic, there was a notable drop in ED visits for respiratory symptoms, despite the fact that fever and/or respiratory symptoms were the most frequently reported symptoms both times. Among the possible causes were a decreased risk of infection spread overall as a result of isolation and self-protective measures, avoiding needless hospital stays in the absence of severe symptoms, and parental anxiety about their children being exposed to COVID-19. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 epidemic, there were major changes in patterns of care seeking. Reduced ED visits should spur attempts to understand these occurrences, encourage appropriate care seeking, and monitor for morbidity and mortality that might arise from delayed or deferred therapy.