Impact of the novel coronavirus infection on pediatric surgery: an analysis of data from the National Clinical Database.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic limited the delivery of medical resources. Although surgeries are triaged according to disease severity and urgency, a delay in diagnosis and surgery can be detrimental. We conducted this study to analyze data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric surgery for different diseases or disorders. METHODS: We compiled and compared data on pediatric surgical cases from 2018 to 2020, using the National Clinical Database. The number of diseases, severity, complication rates, mortality rates by disease/disorder, and the COVID-19 pandemic areas were analyzed. RESULTS: The total number of cases of pediatric surgery in 2018, 2019, and 2020 was 50,026, 49,794, and 45,621, respectively, reflecting an 8.8% decrease in 2020 from 2018 and an 8.4% decrease in 2020 from 2019. A decrease was observed when the number of patients with COVID-19 was high and was greater in areas with a low infection rate. There was a marked decrease in the number of inguinal hernia cases. The number of emergency room visits and emergency surgeries decreased, but their relative proportions increased. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the number of pediatric surgeries, reflecting the limitations of scheduled surgeries and infection control measures.