Impact of covid-19 pandemic on the upper digestive endoscopy: Comparative study during 2 distinct periods

ABSTRACT

Aims Determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the upper endoscopic activity of the emergency departments ofour service by comparing the epidemiological, clinical and endoscopic profile of patients who had an upper digestiveendoscopy in an emergency context in 2 distinct periods before and during the pandemic COVID-19. Methods It's a retrospective, descriptive and comparative study of patients who had an upper digestive endoscopy (UDE),over two successive 8 months Period (1) non COVID-19 01/03/2019-31/10/2019 and Period (2) COVID 19 01/03/2020-31/10/2020 in the hepato-gastroenterology department of the university hospital Mohammed VI Oujda. Results During the study period, 54 urgent UDE were performed during period (2) versus 153 endoscopies during period(1) The average age of our patients was 60±2 during period (2) versus 56±3 during period (1), sex ratio (H/F) was 1.8 inperiod (1) and 1.2 in period (2) Concerning gastroduodenal ulcer during the period (2) 11 % were stage IIb-I with 24 % bulbar locations compared to 6 %stage IIb-I during period (1). The 2 endoscopies performed in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had esophageal various and stage IIb gastric ulcertherapeutic endoscopic procedures were performed for 15 % patients during period (2) including clips, ligations and APCcompared with 13 % during period (1). Conclusions There is a marked reduction in UDE case volume during the COVID-19 period. Self-medication by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was higher during this period with a slight increase in the prevalence of ulcer disease withadvanced lesions and the use of an interventional endoscopic gesture during this period. In addition, there is a stability in the number of hemorrhagic decompensations of chronic liver disease and also in theprevalence of tumor pathology diagnosed on endoscopy during this period that can be related the silent evolution of thesepathologies.