Safety Events in Children's Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare quality and patient safety research.
• Epidemiology of hospital-acquired conditions.
• Impact of global health crises on pediatric medical care.

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to hospital operations and patient care quality.
• Assessing the impact of the pandemic on pediatric hospitalization safety is crucial for identifying areas of concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pediatric hospitalization safety events during the COVID-19 pandemic with rates from previous years.
• To analyze trends in Pediatric Quality Indicators (PDIs) before and during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study utilizing the Pediatric Health Information System database.
• Comparison of PDI rates between March 15–May 31, 2017–2019 (pre-COVID-19) and March 15–May 31, 2020 (during COVID-19).
• Statistical analysis using generalized linear mixed-effects models, adjusting for patient characteristics.

Main Results:

• A total of 399,113 pediatric discharges pre-COVID-19 and 88,140 during the pandemic were analyzed.
• Overall unadjusted PDI rates were significantly higher during the COVID-19 period (6.39) compared to pre-pandemic years (5.05).
• Adjusted analyses revealed a significant increase in the odds of postoperative sepsis during COVID-19 (aOR 1.28; 95% CI 1.04–1.56), while other PDIs did not show increased adjusted odds.

Conclusions:

• Postoperative sepsis rates notably increased in children hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• There is an urgent need for enhanced safety measures in postoperative care for hospitalized children.
• Findings underscore the importance of maintaining high safety standards in pediatric healthcare amidst public health emergencies.