Trends in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media Burden During the First COVID-19 Year.
Otol Neurotol
; 43(7): e760-e766, 2022 08 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2135717
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To study the changes in acute otitis media (AOM) pediatric emergency department (PED) visits and pediatric admission before and during the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) year. STUDYDESIGN:
Retrospective case review.SETTING:
Secondary care center. PATIENTS Children younger than 18 years with all-cause and AOM-related PED visits and pediatric admissions for 3 years (March 1, 2018-January 28, 2021) were identified. Children were categorized according to age (0-2, 2-6, and 6-18 yr) and their date of presentation pre-COVID-19 (yearly average of visits/admissions during the 2 prepandemic years March 1, 2018-February 28, 2019 and March 1, 2019-February 29, 2020) or COVID-19 year (visits/admissions between March 1, 2020-February 28, 2021). INTERVENTION Pre- and post-COVID-19 emergence, alternating lockdowns, kindergarten and school closures, and increased hygiene measures. MAIN OUTCOMEMEASURE:
Post- versus pre-COVID-19 AOM PED visit and pediatric admission incidence rate ratios (IRRs), using a generalized estimating equation model with a negative binomial regression calculation, while controlling for monthly fluctuations.RESULTS:
Annual AOM visits/admissions during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 years were 517 and 192 and 256 and 94, respectively (p < 0.05 for both). For children aged 0 to 2 years, AOM visits/admissions significantly decreased during the first COVID-19 year, compared with the pre-COVID years (ß = -1.11 [IRR, 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26-0.42; p < 0.005] and ß = -1.12 [IRR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.25-0.42; p < 0.005]). Relatively to all-cause of children aged 0 to 2 years, AOM visits/admissions decreased during the first COVID-19 year versus the pre-COVID-19 years (ß = -2.14 [IRR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.08-0.17; p < 0.005] and ß = -1.36 [IRR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.23-0.29; p < 0.005]) and had monthly fluctuations coinciding with the lockdown/relaxation measures. For children aged 2 to 6 years, the reduction in AOM admissions was significant (ß = -1.70, IRR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.09-0.37; p < 0.005). No significant differences were observed for children aged 6 to 18 years because of the small sample size.CONCLUSION:
Pediatric AOM burden substantially decreased during the first COVID-19 year.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Otitis Media
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Otol Neurotol
Journal subject:
Neurology
/
Otolaryngology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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