Identifying patterns in unplanned hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a single-centre retrospective study.
Intern Med J
; 51(6): 868-872, 2021 06.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1280323
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Countries with a high prevalence of COVID-19 have identified a reduction in crude hospital admission rates for non-COVID-19 conditions during the pandemic. There remains a paucity of such data from lower prevalence countries, including Australia.AIMS:
To describe the patterns of unplanned hospital daily admission rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in a major Australian metropolitan hospital, with a focus on acute medical presentations including acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stroke and falls.METHODS:
This single-centre retrospective analysis analysed hospital admission episodes between 1 March and 30 April 2020 (COVID-19-era) and compared this to a historical cohort during the same period between 2017 and 2019 (pre-COVID-19). Information collected included total admission rates and patient characteristics for ACS, stroke and falls patients.RESULTS:
A total of 12 278 unplanned admissions was identified across the study period. The daily admission rate was lower in the COVID-19-era compared with pre-COVID-19 (46.59 vs 51.56 days, P < 0.001). There was also a reduced average daily admission rate for falls (7.79 vs 9.95 days, P < 0.001); however, similar admission rates for ACS (1.52 vs 1.49 days, P = 0.83) and stroke (1.56 vs 1.76 days, P = 0.33).CONCLUSIONS:
Public health interventions have been effective in reducing domestic cases of COVID-19 in Australia. At our tertiary metropolitan hospital, we have observed a significant reduction in unplanned hospital admission rates during the COVID-19-era, particularly for falls. Public health messaging needs to focus on educating the public how to seek medical care safely and promptly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Oceania
Language:
English
Journal:
Intern Med J
Journal subject:
Internal Medicine
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Imj.15075
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