Abstract
BackgroundFrom January 2020, coronavirus has caused more than three million deaths. Lockdown has been enforced in many countries worldwide, affecting the emergency department visits of many surgical specialties.MethodsThe purpose of this study was to present the difference in trends in pediatric emergency department visits from March 1 to May 30, 2020, compared to the same 3-month period in 2019 in a tertiary university hospital in Greece, which was one of the referral centers for COVID-19 patients.ResultsA 42.5% reduction in emergency department visits was observed. In 2020, only 196 patients visited the pediatric surgery emergency department, versus 341 patients in 2019 (p<0.05). The reasons for visiting the emergency department did not change in most categories. Even though visits to the emergency department were reduced, the rates of the distance of the patient’s residency from the hospital remained roughly the same. Hospital admission rates remained roughly the same.ConclusionEven though there was a huge decrease in numbers, the reasons for visiting the ED remained roughly the same. The only exception was indoor accidents, which increased in 2020.
Highlights
From January to May 2020, coronavirus caused 3,206,339 deaths in the world
A 42.5% reduction in emergency department visits was observed
Even though there was a huge decrease in numbers, the reasons for visiting the emergency department (ED) remained roughly the same
Summary
From January to May 2020, coronavirus caused 3,206,339 deaths in the world. The pandemic has caused many changes in medicine and medical care worldwide. In Greece, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a strict lockdown was enforced between March and May 2020, which may affect the pathway to healthcare services [2]. During this period, hospitals canceled all elective surgical operations and prepared intensive care units (ICUs) for the expected arrival of patients with COVID-19. From January 2020, coronavirus has caused more than three million deaths. Lockdown has been enforced in many countries worldwide, affecting the emergency department visits of many surgical specialties
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