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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric emergency service

İlknur Fidancı1, Medine Ayşin Taşar1, Bahar Akıntuğ2

  • 1Department of Pediatric Emergency, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.

International Journal of Clinical Practice
|May 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a 67.7% decrease in pediatric emergency visits, with a concerning threefold increase in child mortality rates. Public awareness is crucial to ensure children receive timely emergency care despite infection control measures.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare utilization globally.
  • Paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) experienced changes in patient volumes and case demographics.
  • Understanding these shifts is vital for assessing secondary health impacts on children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze patient visits to a paediatric emergency department before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To review paediatric emergency department referral ratios.
  • To determine changes in paediatric mortality and morbidity during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional study of patients aged 0-18 years.
  • Data collected from Ankara Research and Training Hospital's paediatric emergency service.
  • Comparison of data from April-October 2019 (pre-pandemic) and April-October 2020 (during pandemic).

Main Results:

  • A 67.7% decrease in total paediatric emergency consultations was observed during the pandemic.
  • COVID-19-related symptoms increased, with fever and gastroenteritis as common diagnoses.
  • A threefold increase in mortality rates and a decrease in suicide attempt consultations were noted during the pandemic.

Conclusions:

  • The significant reduction in paediatric emergency visits may lead to adverse secondary health outcomes for children.
  • Increased awareness is needed regarding the importance of seeking emergency care for children.
  • Hospitals must maintain stringent health precautions to ensure safe access to care during health crises.
Abstract

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