ABSTRACT
Objective: In this study, we aim to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the operation of pediatric emergency services Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the files of patients aged 0–18 years, who visited the pediatric emergency department (PED) between April 15 and May 15 in 2020 and the same period in the previous year, were reviewed. Demographic characteristics, admission diagnoses, admission time, and follow-up data of the patients were obtained from the computer database of our hospital. The data of the pre-pandemic and pandemic period were compared. Results: During the selected month in the pandemic year (2020), the number of patients admitted to the hospital was 78% less than that admitted in the previous year (2019). While the percentage of admitted patients aged 13–18 years in the selected month was higher during the pandemic period than in 2019 (20.2% vs. 16%), the percentages of patients aged 1–6 years (41% vs. 43.7%) and 7–12 years (24.6% vs. 27.4%) were lower (p<0.001) during the pandemic. In 2020, it was observed that most patients visited the emergency department outside of working hours (65.7%) and that the rate of patients who were observed (21.3%) and the rate of hospitalization (18.6%) were higher (p<0.001) than in 2019. During the pandemic period, emergency service admissions were lower in all diagnostic groups, exceptfor oncological emergencies (0.4%). Conclusion: During the pandemic period, the number of patients admitted to the PED as well as the admission diagnosis profile changed. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Amaç: Bu çalışmada amacımız, pandeminin bir çocuk acil servisi işleyişine etkisini araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Geriye dönük kesitsel bu çalışmada, çocuk acil servise 15 Nisan–15 Mayıs 2020 ile bir yıl önce aynı zaman diliminde başvuran 0–18 yaş aralığındaki hastaların dosya verileri incelendi. Hastaların demografik özellikleri, başvuru tanıları, başvuru saati ve izlem verileri hastanemiz bilgisayar veri tabanından elde edildi. Pandemi öncesi ve pandemi dönemi için veriler karşılaştırıldı. Bulgular: Pandemide, seçilen ayda geçen yıla göre %78 oranında daha az hasta başvurduğu görüldü. Yaş grupları içerisinde 13–18 yaş arası hasta oranı pandemide seçilen ayda 2019 yılına göre daha çok (%20.2, %16;sırasıyla), 1–6 yaş arası hasta oranı (%41, %43.7, sırasıyla) ve 7–12 yaş arası hasta oranı (%24.6, %27.4, sırasıyla ) ise daha düşük saptandı (p<0.001). 2020 yılında hastaların daha çok mesai saati dışında (%65.7) acile başvurduğu, gözleme alınan hasta oranı (%21.3) ve yatış oranının (%18.6) daha yüksek olduğu saptandı (p<0.001). Pandemi döneminde onkolojik aciller (%0.4) dışında tüm tanı gruplarında acil başvurular daha düşük saptandı. Sonuç: Pandemi sürecinde çocuk acile başvuran hasta sayısı ve başvuru tanı profili değişmiştir. (Turkish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
We describe the demographic, clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings of 422 children (0-18 year-of-age) suspected of having severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection admitted to a pediatric emergency department between March 23, and July 23, 2020. We compared the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients to SARS-CoV-2-negative patients. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 78 (18.4%). Fever (51.2%) and cough (43.5%) were the most commonly reported signs in the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. Isolated rhinorrhea (7.2%) was reported only in the SARS-CoV-2-negative group (p = .0014). Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were classified according to severity, with the percentages of asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe, and critical cases determined to be 29.5%, 56.4%, 12.9%, 1.2%, and 0%, respectively. Of the 422 children, 128 (30.3%) underwent nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction testing for other respiratory viral pathogens; 21 (16.4%) were infected with viral pathogens other than SARS-CoV-2. Only one patient (4.7%) with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease was coinfected with respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus. The results indicate lower median white blood cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, lower lactate dehydrogenase, d-dimer, and procalcitonin levels in the SARS-CoV-2-positive group (p ≤ .001). Our findings confirm that COVID-19 in children has a mild presentation. In our cohort, no patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection had isolated rhinorrhea.