Service of Emergency Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Ağrı Training Research Hospital, Ağrı, Turkey.
Int J Clin Pract. 2021 Feb;75(2):e13912. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.13912. Epub 2020 Dec 14.
Restrictions imposed for the COVID-19 pandemic and the people's fear of getting infected have caused a significant drop in the number of emergency service admissions. Herein, we aimed to investigate the reflections of our otherwise crowded emergency services' quietness in the period of normalisation.
Our study retrospectively investigated three groups of patients: the patients who were admitted to the emergency service in the 'Period of Restrictions' when the restrictions were imposed to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infection; the patients who were admitted to the emergency service in the 'Period of Normalisation' when normalisation attempts were made and the restrictions were lifted; and the patients who were admitted to the emergency service in the 'Period of Pre-pandemic Normal' exactly 1 year before the normalisation period, which would reflect the normal functioning of the emergency service at that time. The three groups were compared with respect to the demographic characteristics and patient outcomes (death/hospitalisation/discharge).
A total of 69 474 patients were admitted to the emergency service in the 'Period of Pre-pandemic Normal' whereas 21 278 patients were admitted in the 'Period of Restrictions'. The number of emergency service admissions in the 'Period of Restrictions' was significantly lower (P < .01). A total of 72 843 patients were admitted to the emergency service in the 'Period of Normalisation'. There was no statistically significant difference between the 'Period of Pre-pandemic Normal' and the 'Period of Normalisation' in terms of the number of emergency service admissions (P = .127). A total of 9421 (13.5%) patients were hospitalised in the 'Period of Pre-pandemic Normal' and the corresponding figure for the 'Period of Normalisation' was 19 876 (27.2%). A total of 24 (0.03%) patients died in the 'Period of Pre-pandemic Normal', whereas 172 (0.23%) patients died in the 'Period of Normalisation'. The number of patients who were hospitalised and lost in the 'Period of Normalisation' was significantly higher than that of patients who were hospitalised and lost in the 'Period of Pre-pandemic Normal' (P < .01).
In the period of COVID-19 pandemic, fear of getting infected and the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the disease have kept people out of hospitals. We believe that while the restrictions imposed on various activities have prevented the virus from spreading, they also caused the course of non-COVID-19 diseases to worsen and mortality rates to rise. Therefore, we are of the opinion that the public should be informed about the importance of uninterrupted treatment/follow-up and 'Life-threatening Urgent Conditions' that should necessarily prompt hospital visits in possible pandemics.
由于 COVID-19 大流行期间的限制措施以及人们对感染的恐惧，急诊服务的入院人数显著下降。在此，我们旨在调查正常化期间急诊服务安静的背后原因。
我们的研究回顾性地调查了三组患者：在限制传播 COVID-19 感染的限制措施实施期间被收治到急诊服务的患者；在尝试正常化并取消限制措施的“正常化期间”被收治到急诊服务的患者；以及在正常化前整整 1 年前被收治到急诊服务的“大流行前正常期间”的患者，这将反映当时急诊服务的正常运作。这三组患者在人口统计学特征和患者结局（死亡/住院/出院）方面进行了比较。
共有 69474 名患者在“大流行前正常期间”被收治到急诊服务，而有 21278 名患者在“限制期间”被收治。“限制期间”急诊服务的入院人数明显减少（P<.01）。共有 72843 名患者在“正常化期间”被收治到急诊服务。“大流行前正常期间”和“正常化期间”的急诊服务入院人数无统计学差异（P=.127）。“大流行前正常期间”共有 9421 名（13.5%）患者住院，而“正常化期间”的相应数字为 19876 名（27.2%）。“大流行前正常期间”共有 24 名（0.03%）患者死亡，而“正常化期间”有 172 名（0.23%）患者死亡。“正常化期间”住院和死亡的患者人数明显高于“大流行前正常期间”住院和死亡的患者人数（P<.01）。
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，对感染的恐惧和为限制疾病传播而实施的限制措施使人们远离了医院。我们认为，对各种活动的限制虽然阻止了病毒的传播，但也导致了非 COVID-19 疾病的恶化和死亡率的上升。因此，我们认为应该告知公众在可能的大流行中不间断治疗/随访和“危及生命的紧急情况”的重要性，这必然会促使人们去医院就诊。
