ENT emergencies during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: Our experience.
Am J Otolaryngol
; 42(2): 102865, 2021.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33450479
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To analyze the characteristics of the visits attended to in an ENT Emergency Department (ENT-ED) during the first wave of COVID-19, comparing them with the emergencies attended to during the same period of time in 2019.METHODS:
Descriptive and analytical observational retrospective study of all emergency consultations between March 1, 2020, and May 21, 2020, carried out by the Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department of a tertiary university hospital. The adequacy of consultations was assessed with the Hospital Emergency Suitability Protocol (HESP). The correlation between the emergencies and the SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases was assessed with a generalized linear model.RESULTS:
Although there was a decrease of almost 50% in ENT-ED visits during the first wave of COVID-19, the pattern of most cases remained similar to the pre-COVID-19 era non-urgent consultations, not previously assessed by Primary Care (PC), being considered inadequate by the HESP. The three main reasons for consultation were otalgia, odynophagia, and epistaxis. The number of ENT-ED visits and the total number of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the health area were correlated.CONCLUSIONS:
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was a challenge for the Spanish health system. The critical epidemiological situation experienced during March, April, and May explains the reduction in the number of visits to the ENT-ED. However, this condition did not affect the predominant pattern of visits with respect to the pre-COVID-19 era, which were mostly inadequate. A strengthening of PC and an improvement in the population's health education is essential.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Otorrinolaringopatias
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Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência
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COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Aged80
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Child
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Child, preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Infant
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Male
País como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article