Changes in Emergency Department Visits, Diagnostic Groups, and 28-Day Mortality Associated With the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Territory-Wide, Retrospective, Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Study objective

We aimed to evaluate and characterize the scale and relationships of emergency department (ED) visits and excess mortality associated with the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the territory of Hong Kong.

Methods

We conducted a territory-wide, retrospective cohort study to compare ED visits and the related impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality. All ED visits at 18 public acute hospitals in Hong Kong between January 1 and August 31 of 2019 (n=1,426,259) and 2020 (n=1,035,562) were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality in the 28 days following an ED visit. The secondary outcomes were weekly number of ED visits and diagnosis-specific mortality.

Results

ED visits decreased by 27.4%, from 1,426,259 in 2019 to 1,035,562 in 2020.

SUBMITTER: Wai AKC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8461293 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature