Covid-19 Related Reduction in Paediatric Emergency Healthcare Utilization – A Concerning Trend
Background:The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare systems worldwide. Besides the direct impact of the virus on morbidity and mortality of patients, the effect of lockdown strategies on health and healthcare utilization become more and more apparent. Little is known on the effect of the pandemic on pediatric healthcare utilization. We examined the impact of the pandemic on pediatric emergency healthcare.
Methods: We conducted a monocentric, retrospective analysis of n=5.424 pediatric emergency visits between January 1st and April 19th of 2019 and 2020, and compared healthcare utilization in the month post lockdown 2020 to the same period in 2019.
Results: In the four weeks after lockdown in Germany began, we observed a massive drop of 63.8% in pediatric emergency healthcare utilization (mean daily visits 26.8 ±SEM 1.5 in 2019 vs. 9.7 ±SEM 1 in 2020, p<0.005). This drop in cases occurred for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. A larger proportion of patients under one year old (daily mean of 16.6% ±SEM 1.4 in 2019 vs 23.1% ±SEM 1.7, p<0.01 in 2020) and of cases requiring hospitalisation (mean of 13.9% ±SEM 1.6 in 2019 vs. 26.6% ±SEM 3.3 in 2020, p<0.001) occurred during the pandemic. During the analysed time periods, few intensive care admissions and no fatalities occurred.
Conclusion: Our data illustrate a significant decrease in pediatric emergency room visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public outreach is needed to encourage parents to seek medical attention for pediatric emergencies in spite of the pandemic.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Posted 21 May, 2020
On 07 Sep, 2020
Received 13 Jun, 2020
On 13 Jun, 2020
On 31 May, 2020
Received 26 May, 2020
Received 26 May, 2020
On 23 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 22 May, 2020
On 22 May, 2020
On 22 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
On 18 May, 2020
On 18 May, 2020
On 17 May, 2020
Covid-19 Related Reduction in Paediatric Emergency Healthcare Utilization – A Concerning Trend
Posted 21 May, 2020
On 07 Sep, 2020
Received 13 Jun, 2020
On 13 Jun, 2020
On 31 May, 2020
Received 26 May, 2020
Received 26 May, 2020
On 23 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 22 May, 2020
On 22 May, 2020
On 22 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
On 18 May, 2020
On 18 May, 2020
On 17 May, 2020
Background:The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare systems worldwide. Besides the direct impact of the virus on morbidity and mortality of patients, the effect of lockdown strategies on health and healthcare utilization become more and more apparent. Little is known on the effect of the pandemic on pediatric healthcare utilization. We examined the impact of the pandemic on pediatric emergency healthcare.
Methods: We conducted a monocentric, retrospective analysis of n=5.424 pediatric emergency visits between January 1st and April 19th of 2019 and 2020, and compared healthcare utilization in the month post lockdown 2020 to the same period in 2019.
Results: In the four weeks after lockdown in Germany began, we observed a massive drop of 63.8% in pediatric emergency healthcare utilization (mean daily visits 26.8 ±SEM 1.5 in 2019 vs. 9.7 ±SEM 1 in 2020, p<0.005). This drop in cases occurred for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. A larger proportion of patients under one year old (daily mean of 16.6% ±SEM 1.4 in 2019 vs 23.1% ±SEM 1.7, p<0.01 in 2020) and of cases requiring hospitalisation (mean of 13.9% ±SEM 1.6 in 2019 vs. 26.6% ±SEM 3.3 in 2020, p<0.001) occurred during the pandemic. During the analysed time periods, few intensive care admissions and no fatalities occurred.
Conclusion: Our data illustrate a significant decrease in pediatric emergency room visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public outreach is needed to encourage parents to seek medical attention for pediatric emergencies in spite of the pandemic.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4