ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a case of ear infection which prevalence is still relatively high, especially in developing countries. Surgery is the definitive management for CSOM that aims to eradicate the infection and improve the hearing conduction system. The COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous pressure on the global health care system, including limitations on elective surgical procedure at most hospital at the beginning of the pandemic. Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the volume of chronic suppurative otitis media surgeries. Methods: A retrospective study on 236 chronic suppurative otitis media patients. The number of surgeries collected from April to December 2019 and 2020 was compared. Statistical analysis used the t-independence and linear regression test with p < 0.05. Results: The otologic surgeries decreased by 83.7% between 2019 and 2020. There were 203 surgeries (2019) vs 33 (2020). The average number of surgeries per month in 2019 and 2020 was 23 ± 6 patients and 4 ± 2 patients, respectively (t = 2.365; p < 0.001). All cases that underwent surgery in 2020 were cases with complications. Special consent and preparation must be completed before surgery. Conclusion: The number of otitis media surgeries significantly decreases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
We report a case of a 10-month infant with dual severe infection of COVID-19 and dengue fever who was admitted to the hospital with an influenza-like illness. The patient experienced severe conditions of COVID-19 and dengue fever with shock followed by disseminated intravascular coagulation. The standard of COVID-19 care was given coupled with fluid resuscitation and blood transfusion. The pitfalls of this case are how to differentiate the clinical manifestation of dengue fever in a patient with confirmed COVID-19; the difficulty to monitor the dengue course of illness of the patient in the COVID-19 isolation room; and to differentiate the severe dengue from the multisystem inflammatory syndrome-C when the patient was in critical condition. The infant recovered without sequale, but the management of new probable cases must be improved more thoroughly, especially during dengue peak period in tropical and developing countries such as Indonesia.