Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on rates of emergency department utilization and hospital admission due to general surgery conditions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent literature reports a decrease in healthcare-seeking behaviours by adults during the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that emergency general surgery (GS) conditions are often associated with high morbidity and mortality if left untreated, the objective of this study was to describe and quantify the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on rates of emergency department (ED) utilization and hospital admission due to GS conditions.

Methods

This cohort study involved the analysis of an institutional database and retrospective chart review. We identified adult patients presenting to the ED in a network of three teaching hospitals in Montreal, Canada during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic (March13-May13, 2020) and a control pre-pandemic period (March13-May13, 2019). Pat

SUBMITTER: Balvardi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8722748 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature