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Prevalence, Causes, and Adverse Clinical Impact of Delayed Presentation of Non-COVID-19-Related Emergencies during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a Multicenter Observational Study.
- Source :
-
International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2022 Aug 09; Vol. 19 (16). Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Aug 09. - Publication Year :
- 2022
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Abstract
- Objective: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, resulting in decreased and delayed hospital visits of patients with non-COVID-19-related acute emergencies. We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation and outcomes of patients with non-COVID-19-related medical and surgical emergencies. Method: All non-COVID-19-related patients hospitalized through emergency departments in three tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in June and July 2020 were enrolled and categorized into delayed and non-delayed groups (presentation ≥/=24 or <24 h after onset of symptom). Primary outcome was the prevalence and cause of delayed presentation; secondary outcomes included comparative 28-day clinical outcomes (i.e., 28-day mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and acute surgical interventions). Mean, median, and IQR were used to calculate the primary outcomes and inferential statistics including chi-square/Fisher exact test, t-test where appropriate were used for comparisons. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with delay in seeking medical attention. Results: In total, 24,129 patients visited emergency departments during the study period, compared to 48,734 patients in the year 2019. Of the 256 hospitalized patients with non-COVID-19-related diagnoses, 134 (52%) had delayed presentation. Fear of COVID-19 and curfew-related restrictions represented 46 (34%) and 25 (19%) of the reasons for delay. The 28-day mortality rates were significantly higher among delayed patients vs. non-delayed patients (n = 14, 10.4% vs. n = 3, 2.5%, OR: 4.628 (CI: 1.296−16.520), p = 0.038). Conclusion: More than half of hospitalized patients with non-COVID-19-related diagnoses had delayed presentation to the ED where mortality was found to be significantly higher in this group. Fear of COVID-19 and curfew restrictions were the main reasons for delaying hospital visit.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1660-4601
- Volume :
- 19
- Issue :
- 16
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- International journal of environmental research and public health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 36011457
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169818