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Pediatric eye emergency department activity during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic
Elia Franzolin1, Rosa Longo1, Elena Gusson1
1Ophthalmic Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Insights
Pediatric eye emergency visits significantly decreased during COVID-19 lockdowns, with a rise in urgent cases. This highlights the need for optimized resource allocation in pediatric eye emergency departments.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Investigated pediatric eye emergency department (PEED) consultations during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
- Compared PEED activity to the same period in the preceding three years (2017-2019).
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the volume and characteristics of pediatric eye emergency visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To compare these findings with pre-pandemic data.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of ophthalmic emergency examinations for patients aged 18 years or younger.
- Data collected during the national COVID-19 lockdown (March-May 2020) and compared to 2017-2019.
- Analyzed demographics, symptom duration/type, trauma etiology, and diagnoses.
Main Results:
- PEED activity dropped by 79.4% in 2020 compared to previous years.
- Urgent pediatric eye conditions increased from 30.7% to 50.7% during the lockdown.
- Demographic and clinical characteristics remained comparable, despite reduced overall visits.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric eye emergency care volume decreased significantly during the pandemic, primarily serving critical cases.
- The findings suggest potential for improved PEED resource optimization and reduced overcrowding.
- Prioritizing urgent cases can enhance management and minimize waste in pediatric eye emergency services.
Background:
We investigated the volume and the characteristics of pediatric eye emergency department (PEED) consultations performed at our tertiary eye center during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and we compared them to those carried out in the same time interval of the previous three years.
Methods:
Ophthalmic emergency examinations of patients aged ≤18 years old and done during the national COVID-19 lockdown (March 9th, 2020 - May 3rd, 2020) and in the corresponding date range of the previous three years (2017, 2018, and 2019) have been considered and reviewed. The following features were retrieved and analyzed: age, gender, duration and type of accused symptoms, traumatic etiology, and the discharge diagnosis.
Results:
136, 133, and 154 PEED visits have been performed respectively in 2017, 2018, and 2019, while 29 patients presented in 2020. Therefore, the volume of PEED activity decreased by 79.4% (p < 0.0001). Demographical and clinical characteristics were comparable to those of the pre-COVID period. Despite the absolute reduction in the number of traumas, urgent conditions increased significantly from 30.7 to 50.7% (p = 0.024).
Conclusions:
PEED activity decreased consistently after the onset of the pandemic and it was mainly attended by those children whose conditions required prompt assistance, reducing the number of patients diagnosed with milder pathologies. At the end of the emergency, better use of PEED could avoid overcrowding and minimize waste, allowing resource optimization for the management of urgent cases.
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