[Access to the Emergency Department in the time of COVID-19: an analysis of the first three months in the Lazio Region (Central Italy)]. / L'accesso al pronto soccorso ai tempi del COVID-19: un'analisi dei primi tre mesi nella regione Lazio.
Epidemiol Prev
; 44(5-6): 359-366, 2020.
Article
in Italian
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1134602
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
to evaluate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic on the access to the emergency services of the Lazio Region (Central Italy) for time-dependent pathologies, for suspected SARS-CoV-2 symptoms, and for potentially inappropriate conditions.DESIGN:
observational study. SETTING ANDPARTICIPANTS:
accesses to the emergency departments (EDs) of Lazio Region hospitals in the first three months of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. MAIN OUTCOMEMEASURES:
total number of accesses to the emergency room and number of specific accesses for cardio and cerebrovascular diseases, for severe trauma, for symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions, and for symptoms related to pneumonia.RESULTS:
in the first 3 months of 2019, there were 429,972 accesses to the EDs of Lazio Region; in the same period of 2020, accesses arise to 353,806, (reduction of 21.5%), with a 73% reduction in the last three weeks of march 2020 as compared with the corresponding period of 2019. Comparing the first 3 months of the 2017-2019 with 2020, the accesses for acute coronary syndrome and acute cerebrovascular disease decreased since the 10th week up to more than 57% and 50%, respectively. The accesses due to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions, proxy of potentially inappropriate conditions, decreased since the 8th week, with a maximum reduction of 70%. Access to severe trauma decreased by up to 70% in the 11th week. The accesses for pneumonia increased up to a 70% increment in the 12th week.CONCLUSIONS:
the evaluation of accesses to emergency services during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic can provide useful elements for the promotion and improvement of the planning, for the management of critical situations, and for the reprogramming of the healthcare offer based on clinical and organizational appropriateness.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Emergency Service, Hospital
/
COVID-19
/
Health Services Accessibility
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
Italian
Journal:
Epidemiol Prev
Journal subject:
Epidemiology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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