Abstract
BackgroundCOVID-19 is a new human-infecting coronavirus for which the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. The first Italian cases occurred in February 2020: since then, there has been an exponential increase in new cases, hospitalizations and intensive care assistance demand. This new and sudden scenario led to a forced National Health System reorganization and review of welfare priorities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of this pandemic on ordinary activities in two plastic surgery divisions in Rome, hosted in a COVID-19 and a non-COVID-19 hospital.MethodsThe data of this comparative retrospective study was collected between 9 March and 9 April 2019 and the same period of 2020 from two plastic surgery units, one in a COVID-19 hospital and second in a non-COVID-19 hospital in Rome, Italy. The 2019–2020 data of the two hospitals was compared regarding the number of surgeries, post-operative dressings and first consultations performed.ResultsBoth units sustained a decrease in workload due to lockdown effects. Statistically significant differences for day surgery procedures (p value = 0.0047) and first consultations (p value < 0.0001) were found between the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 institutes, with a drastic trend limiting non-urgent access to COVID-19 hospitals.ConclusionsThe long-term effects of healthcare reshuffling in the “COVID-19 era” imply a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer and cancellation of many reconstructive procedures. These findings pose a question on the future consequences of a long-term limitation in plastic surgery healthcare.Level of evidence: Level III, risk/prognostic study.
Highlights
COVID-19 is a new human-infecting Betacoronavirus, first reported in Wuhan (China) in December 2019 and rapidlyDepartment of Surgery “P. Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyPlastic and Regenerative Surgery Dept., San Gallicano Dermatological Institute IRCCS, Rome, ItalyUnit of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Policlinico Umberto I, Department of Surgery “P. Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy spreading to all continents, causing a pandemic and a public health emergency
This virus is highly contagious with a human-to-human transmission and may present a benign course showing flu-like symptomatology or a serious health hazard with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), acute cardiac injury and acute kidney injury [1, 2], among other systemic effects described
PU1 in-patient ward capacity was reduced to 6 beds, to accomplish the 2-m social distance between beds; ISG inpatient ward capacity was reduced to 4, accommodating one patient only in an originally double-bed room
Summary
Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy spreading to all continents, causing a pandemic and a public health emergency. This virus is highly contagious with a human-to-human transmission and may present a benign course showing flu-like symptomatology (malaise, fever, cough) or a serious health hazard with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), acute cardiac injury and acute kidney injury [1, 2], among other systemic effects described. The first Italian cases occurred in February 2020: since there has been an exponential increase in new cases, hospitalizations and intensive care assistance demand. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of this pandemic on ordinary activities in two plastic surgery divisions in Rome, hosted in a COVID-19 and a non-COVID-19 hospital
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