Delayed presentation of children to the emergency department during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: Area-based cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To ascertain a delay in attendances to the emergency department (ED) during 2020 lockdown.

Methods

Area-based cohort study on paediatric (0-15 years) attendances resulting in hospital admission in Tuscany, Italy, in February-May 2020, and the corresponding periods in 2018-19. We analysed times from symptom onset to arrival, the odds of arriving late (>90th centile of time) and paediatricians' judgements of a late presentation by logistic models.

Results

As expected, ED attendance fell sharply (-62%) in 2020 vs 2018-19. As for cases studied (455 in 2020 and 1161 in 2018-19), we documented a delay in arrival to the ED in 2020 versus 2018-19 for several groups of diagnoses, namely gastroenteritis, sepsis, wounds, burns and infections overall. Time to presentation ove

SUBMITTER: Rusconi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8444882 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature