Influence of the domestic COVID-19 pandemic on the pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emerged, there has been a substantial decline in emergency department (ED) visits. However, the impact of the pandemic on pediatric ED (PED) visits has not been well discussed. This study aimed to compare the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of PED visits before and after the time of the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: Data of pediatric patients admitted to the PED between February 2019 and January 2021 were retrospectively collected. All patients were divided into two groups: 1 year before the COVID-19 pandemic (group 1) and 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak (group 2). Basic demographics, clinical characteristics, triage levels, categories of diagnosis at PED, disposition, and hospitalization rates (wards and intensive care units) were further analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results: During the study period, 48,146 pediatric patients were enrolled (30,823 in group 1, and 17,323 in group 2). PED visits represented a 43.8% annual decline. The most common diseases in the PED in group 1 were infectious diseases, whereas digestive system diseases were the most common diseases in group 2 (both P < 0.001). In group 2, shorter PED observational time, longer hospital stay, and higher admission rates were noted compared to those in group 1 (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of respiratory system diseases and infectious diseases sharply decreased in the PED, whereas the proportion of digestive system diseases relatively increased. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the nature of PED visits and we should pay more attention on digestive system diseases and the rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and overall mortality.

Distribution of Viral Respiratory Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic Using the FilmArray Respiratory Panel.

This study was conducted to evaluate the distribution of respiratory viral pathogens in the emergency department during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Between May 2020 and September 2022, patients aged between 0.1 and 98 years arrived at the emergency department of Asia University Hospital, and samples from nasopharyngeal swabs were tested by the FilmArrayTM Respiratory Panel (RP). SARS-CoV-2 positivity was subsequently retested by the cobas Liat system. There were 804 patients for whom the FilmArrayTM RP was tested, and 225 (27.9%) of them had positive results for respiratory viruses. Rhinovirus/enterovirus was the most commonly detected pathogen, with 170 (61.8%) cases, followed by adenovirus with 38 (13.8%), SARS-CoV-2 with 16 (5.8%) cases, and coronavirus 229E, with 16 (5.8%) cases. SARS-CoV-2 PCR results were positive in 16 (5.8%) cases, and there were two coinfections of SARS-CoV-2 with adenovirus and rhinovirus/enterovirus. A total of 43 (5.3%) patients were coinfected; the most coinfection was adenovirus plus rhinovirus/enterovirus, which was detectable in 18 (41.9%) cases. No atypical pathogens were found in this study. Intriguingly, our results showed that there was prefect agreement between the detection of SARS-CoV-2 conducted with the cobas Liat SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A/B nucleic acid test and the FilmArrayTM RP. Therefore, the FilmArrayTM RP assay is a reliable and feasible method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. In summary, FilmArrayTM RP significantly broadens our capability to detect multiple respiratory infections due to viruses and atypical bacteria. It provides a prompt evaluation of pathogens to enhance patient care and clinical selection strategies in emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Influence of the domestic COVID-19 pandemic on the pediatric emergency department

Objectives After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emerged, there has been a substantial decline in emergency department (ED) visits. However, the impact of the pandemic on pediatric ED (PED) visits has not been well discussed. This study aimed to compare the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of PED visits before and after the time of the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods Data of pediatric patients admitted to the PED between February 2019 and January 2021 were retrospectively collected. All patients were divided into two groups: 1 year before the COVID-19 pandemic (group 1) and 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak (group 2). Basic demographics, clinical characteristics, triage levels, categories of diagnosis at PED, disposition, and hospitalization rates (wards and intensive care units) were further analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results During the study period, 48,146 pediatric patients were enrolled (30,823 in group 1, and 17,323 in group 2). PED visits represented a 43.8% annual decline. The most common diseases in the PED in group 1 were infectious diseases, whereas digestive system diseases were the most common diseases in group 2 (both P < 0.001). In group 2, shorter PED observational time, longer hospital stay, and higher admission rates were noted compared to those in group 1 (all P < 0.001). Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of respiratory system diseases and infectious diseases sharply decreased in the PED, whereas the proportion of digestive system diseases relatively increased. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the nature of PED visits and we should pay more attention on digestive system diseases and the rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and overall mortality.