Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency hospital cancer admissions in a UK region.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The pandemic disrupted society and health services through lockdowns and resource reallocation to care for COVID-19 patients. Reductions in numbers of cancer patients having surgery, being diagnosed pathologically or via 2-week wait, and screening programs pauses have been described. The effect on emergency presentation, which represents an acute episode with poor outcomes, has not been investigated. This study explored the pandemic's impact on emergency hospital admissions for cancer patients in a UK region.

Methods

Hospital discharge data for cancer patients in Northern Ireland, which included route to admission, were analysed for the pandemic era in 2020 compared to averages for March to December 2017-2019, focusing on volume and route of emergency admissions b

SUBMITTER: Mitchell H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9351130 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature