1. COVID-19 and endoscopic services: the impact of delays in therapeutic colonoscopies on patients
- Author
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Sharad Karandikar, David N Naumann, Nasir Mir, Syazeddy Samani, Marietta Iacucci, Jason Goh, Marcus Mottershead, Vanja Giljaca, and Michael Ding
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Colorectal cancer ,business.industry ,General surgery ,Gastroenterology ,MEDLINE ,Colonoscopy ,medicine.disease ,Endoscopy ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,0302 clinical medicine ,Healthcare delivery ,Pandemic ,medicine ,030211 gastroenterology & hepatology ,business ,Gastrointestinal endoscopy - Abstract
We are writing in relation to the study by Rutter et al with interest.1 The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in major changes to healthcare delivery in many clinical areas including endoscopic services.1–3 The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and Joint Advisory Group for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG) issued guidance for endoscopic services on 23 March 2020 recommending activities prioritising emergencies or essential procedures and postponement of non-emergency cases, bowel cancer screening and surveillance.4 The study by Rutter et al reported a substantial reduction to as low as 5% of normal endoscopic activity in the UK earlier on in the pandemic with only a 20% increase of pre-COVID-19 levels 10 weeks later. Endoscopic cancer detection rate reduced by 58% overall, with a worrying 72% reduction for colorectal cancer during the study period.1 A national survey of UK endoscopy leads in May 2020 showed a substantial number of endoscopy services stopped performing endoscopy with an anticipated slow recovery and trebling …
- Published
- 2021