Comparative changes in emergency department patient attendance at the Pediatric Emergency Hospital during the first wave between 2019 and 2020

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2022.393.11245

Keywords:

Pediatrics, Emergency care, Emergency Service, Hospital, Pandemics, Delivery of Health Care, Peru, COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the pattern of patient attendance at healthcare facilities. We describe the comparative changes in the attendance of pediatric patients at the Emergency Department of the Pediatric Emergency Hospital of Lima, Peru, between epidemiological weeks 10 to 48 of 2019 and 2020. Sociodemographic data, patient condition, type of insurance and diagnosis grouped according to ICD-10 code were analyzed. We found a 48.2% reduction in the number of visits in 2020 when compared to 2019, and a five-fold increase in the number of visits from localities other than Metropolitan Lima. Likewise, the probability of diagnosis of “infectious and parasitic diseases” increased by 27% and the probability of diagnosis of “diseases of the respiratory system” decreased by 61%.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Zheng J. SARS-coV-2: An emerging coronavirus that causes a global threat. Int J Biol Sci. 2020;16(10):1678–1685. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.45053.

Serra A. Infección respiratoria aguda por COVID-19: una amenaza evidente. Rev Habanera Ciencias Medicas. 2020;19(1):5.

Rothan HA, Byrareddy SN. The epidemeology and pathogensis of coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. J Autoimmun. 2020; 109:1–4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2020.102433.

World Health Organization. WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020 [Internet]. WHO Director General’s speeches. 2020 [citado el 9 de febrero del 2020]. p. 4. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-oncovid-19---11-march-2020.

Huamaní C, Timaná-Ruiz R, Pinedo J, Pérez J, Vásquez L. Condiciones estimadas para controlar la pandemia de COVID-19 en escenarios de pre y poscuarentena en el Perú. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2020; 37(2):195–202. doi: 10.17843/rpmesp.2020.372.5405.

Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Sánchez-Duque JA, Hernández Botero S, Pérez-Díaz CE, Villamil-Gómez WE, Méndez CA, et al. Preparación y

control de la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) en América Latina. Acta Med Peru. 2020;37(1):3–7. doi: 10.35663/amp.2020.371.909.

Ministerio de Salud. Situación del COVID-19. Perú. 2020 / 2021. Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Prevención y Control de Enfermedades (CDC-Perú). 2022 [citado el 6 de marzo del 2022]. Disponible en: http://www.dge.gob.pe/portal/docs/tools/teleconferencia/2021/SE312021/03.pdf.

Ciacchini B, Tonioli F, Marciano C, Faticato MG, Borali E, Pini Prato A, et al. Reluctance to seek pediatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic and the risks of delayed diagnosis. Ital J Pediatr. 2020;46(87):1–4. doi: 10.1186/s13052-020-00849-w.

Mejía C, Rodriguez-Alarcón J, Garay-Rios l, Enriquez-Anco M, Moreno A, Huaytan-Rojas K, et al. Percepción de miedo o exageración que transmiten los medios de comunicación en la población peruana durante la pandemia de la COVID-19. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd. 2020, 39(2):1-20.

Liguoro I, Pilotto C, Vergine M, Pusiol A, Vidal E, Cogo P. The impact of COVID-19 on a tertiary care pediatric emergency department. Eur J Pediatr. 2021; 180 (5): 1497-1504. doi: 10.1007/s00431-020-03909-9.

Pepper M, Leva E, Trivedy P, Luckey J, Baker M. Analysis of pediatric emergency department patient volume trends during the covid 19 pandemic. Med. 2020; 100(27):1-8. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000026583.

Brisca G, Vagellli G, Tagliarini G, Rotulo A, Pirlo D, Romanengo M, et al. The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on children with medical complexity in pediatric emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2020; 42:225-227. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.11.066.

Rotulo G, Percivale B, Molteni M, Naim A, Brisca G, Piccotti E, et al. The impact of COVID-19 on infectious diseases epidemiology: The experience of a tertiary Italian Pediatric Emergency department. Em J Emerg Med. 2021; 43: 115-117. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.01.065.

Jang K, Ahn J, Choi H, Lee S, Kim D, Lee D, et al. Pediatric emergency department utilization and coronavirus disease in Daegu, Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2021;36(3):1-12. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e11.

Levine D, Fraymovich S, Shari L, Platt M. Where are all the children gone? In New York City. Ann Emerg Med. 2020; (1):1-34. doi: 10.1023/A:1009562531188.

Isba R, Edge R, Auerbach M, Cicero M, Jenner R, Setzer E. Transatlantic declines in pediatrics emergency admissions. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2020; 36(11):551-553. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000002260.

Pines J, Zocchi M, Black B, Carlson J, Celedon P, Moghtaderi A, et al. Characterizing pediatric emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am J Emerg Med Pediatrics. 2021; 47: 201-204. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.11.037.

Murguerza M, Gonzales-García C. Generación del Bicentenario: movimientos juveniles contra el expresidente Merino. Universitas-XXI. 2022;37:149-171. doi: 10.17163/uni.n37.2022.06.

Raucci U, Musolino A, Lallo D, Piga S, Barbieri M, Pisani M, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emergency department of a tertiary children’s hospital. Ital J Pediatr. 2021; 47 (1): 1-13. doi: 10.1186/s13052-021-00976-y.

Dopfer C, Watzke M, Scharff A, Mueller F, Dressler F, Baumann U, et al. COVID-19 related reduction in pediatric emergency healthcare utilization – a concerning trend. BMC Pediatr. 2020; 20 (427): 1-10. doi: 10.1186/s12887-020-02303-6.

Published

2022-09-30

Issue

Section

Brief Report

How to Cite

1.
Stramandinoli A, Alvarado-Zúñiga J, Alvarado GF, Egúsquiza-Zuzunaga G, Carreazo NY. Comparative changes in emergency department patient attendance at the Pediatric Emergency Hospital during the first wave between 2019 and 2020. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica [Internet]. 2022 Sep. 30 [cited 2024 Nov. 12];39(3):345-51. Available from: https://rpmesp.ins.gob.pe/index.php/rpmesp/article/view/11245