Assessment of childhood disease patterns in outpatient settings: a retrospective study from 2016 to 2020

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted pediatric health. Although numerous studies in China have reviewed childhood diseases, specific patterns in certain regions still require more detailed analysis. This was a single-center retrospective study conducted at the Fifth People's Hospital of Wujiang District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. It aims to compare the characteristics of pediatric outpatient visits from 2016 to 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (pandemic), providing insights into how childhood disease patterns have evolved during and after the pandemic.

We conducted a retrospective analysis to collect routine administrative data on children from outpatient departments.

A total of 236,977 visits in outpatient children were recorded, with the highest proportion of visits occurring in 2017 (24.5%) and the lowest in 2020 (11.3%). Changes in visit numbers were mainly associated with fluctuations in respiratory diseases (59.1%). The proportions of respiratory and infectious diseases varied across different years, with the highest proportions observed in 2019 (25.5% and 59.4%, respectively). There was a consistent higher prevalence of male children compared to their female counterparts in terms of demographic characteristics, with a ratio ranging from 1.2 to 1.3. The largest proportion of outpatient visits was observed among preschool-aged children (32.5%), followed by toddlers (26.0%) and school-age children (20.2%). Notably, the fourth quarter consistently had the highest number of visits (30.5%), while the third quarter exhibited the lowest visit numbers (20.0%). Fever (68.6%) was the most frequently reported symptom in outpatient visits with abnormal symptoms and signs.

This study highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient visits among children in Wujiang District, Suhzou, revealing a downward trend in 2020 compared to previous years. Notably, respiratory diseases remained the most common reason for outpatient visits, with distinct demographic patterns observed. These findings may help inform local healthcare planning and resource allocation in similar settings.