ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pandemic conditions on the mental problems of pre-school age children. Methods: The file data of pre-school age children (aged 72 months or less) presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic between March 30, 2020, and March 30, 2021, were examined retrospectively. Results: Boys constituted 67.9% of the 249 children included in the study, and girls 32.1%. The youngest patient was aged 5 months, and the oldest, 72 months. The mean age of the entire patient group was 42.82 ± 14.84 months. Mean age among boys was 42.44 ± 15.06 months, and mean age among girls was 43.61 ± 14.43 months (P = .561). Presentation symptoms frequently involved neurodevelopmental problems. Analy-sis showed that 76.7% of cases were not attending any educational institution. At least one diagnosis based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria was present in 83.5% of cases. The most frequent diagnoses were general developmental delay (22.1%), developmental language disorder (16.5%), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (14.5%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (11.6%), and childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering) (7.6%). Gender comparisons showed that ASD was significantly more common in boys than in girls (P = .004). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate a higher rate of diagnosis than in studies performed before the pandemic. In addition, presentations due to certain neurodevelopmental disorders seen more frequently in boys also increased among girls during the pandemic. Our study results will be useful in guiding the development of protective mental health services for pre-school children.
ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: The aim of this study is to report our experience on electrophysiological (EP) procedures during the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and compare the results with findings from a similar timeframe from the previous year. Methods: Patients who underwent an EP procedure during the Covid-19 pandemic in our hospital between dates March 20, 2020 and May 1, 2020 constituted the study group. Patients who underwent an EP procedure between dates March 20, 2019 and May 1, 2019 constituted the control group. Baseline characteristics and the indication for EP procedure between the groups were compared. Results: Compared to previous year, there was a 61.5% reduction in the total number of EP procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Compared to control group, the number of VT ablation was higher in the study group (22.7% vs. 5.3%, p=0.001). The number of AF ablation (16.7% vs. 2.3%, p=0.015) and PVC ablation (9.6% vs. 0%, p=0.033) were higher in the control group. The number of PM implantation was higher during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the control group (13.6% vs 2.6%, p=0.007). Although the number of ICD implantation was similar between the groups (15.9% vs 14.9%, p=0.875), more patients in the study group had ICD implantation for secondary prevention (11.4% vs 4.5%). There was no CRT implantation performed in Covid-19 pandemic period. Conclusions: The number of EP procedures is decreased and there are important differences in the indications of EP procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to routine practice.