Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Surgical Volume in Four Low- and Middle-Income Country Hospitals: Insights from an Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical care delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has been challenging to assess due to a lack of data. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on pediatric surgical volumes at four LMIC hospitals. METHODS: Retrospective and prospective pediatric surgical data collected at hospitals in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Zambia were reviewed from January 2019 to April 2021. Changes in surgical volume were assessed using interrupted time series analysis. RESULTS: 6078 total operations were assessed. Before the pandemic, overall surgical volume increased by 21 cases/month (95% CI 14 to 28, p < 0.001). From March to April 2020, the total surgical volume dropped by 32%, or 110 cases (95% CI - 196 to - 24, p = 0.014). Patients during the pandemic were younger (2.7 vs. 3.3 years, p < 0.001) and healthier (ASA I 69% vs. 66%, p = 0.003). Additionally, they experienced lower rates of post-operative sepsis (0.3% vs 1.5%, p < 0.001), surgical site infections (1.3% vs 5.8%, p < 0.001), and mortality (1.6% vs 3.1%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, children's surgery in LMIC saw a sharp decline in total surgical volume by a third in the month following March 2020, followed by a slow recovery afterward. Patients were healthier with better post-operative outcomes during the pandemic, implying a widening disparity gap in surgical access and exacerbating challenges in addressing the large unmet burden of pediatric surgical disease in LMICs with a need for immediate mitigation strategies.

[Epidemiology, treatment and prognosis of colorectal cancer in young adults in sub-Saharan Africa]. / Épidémiologie, traitement et pronostic du cancer colorectal de l'adulte jeune en milieu sub-saharien.

Colorectal cancer is the most common digestive cancer. The objectives of this study was to analyse the frequency, aetiologies, and the therapeutic and progressive aspects of colorectal cancer in young adults in Burkina Faso. This study was a 10-years descriptive study conducted in 2 regional hospitals in Burkina Faso. It included all patients aged 20 to 45 years admitted to these two hospitals for colon cancer or rectal cancer during the study period. A total of 116 patients were included, which was 39.2% of all patients admitted for colorectal cancer during the same period. The average age of the included patients was 35.4 years old. There were 70 male patients (60.3%). Seven patients had a history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and six had a family history of colon cancer. The average consultation time was 6.2 months. In 25 cases (19.9%), the cancer was discovered in the context of an abdominal emergency. Ninety-two patients (79.3%) were diagnosed at stage 3 or stage 4 according to the TNM Staging System. The most common histological type was adenocarcinoma (103 cases, 88.9%). Therapeutically, surgery was performed on 87 patients (75%) and chemotherapy was used in 37 cases (31.9%). Sixteen patients received radiotherapy. The intra operative mortality rate was 4.6%. The 5-year survival rate was 17%. In conclusion, colorectal cancer in young adults occurs without obvious risk factors in Burkina Faso. Mortality remains high because of the limited therapeutic arsenal.