Pfaff Johannes A R, Harlan Marcial E, Pfaff Günter, Hubert Alexander, Bendszus Martin
Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
University Institute for Neuroradiology of the Paracelsus Medical University, Uniklinikum Salzburg, Christian-Doppler-Klinik, Ignaz-Harrer-Straße 79, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria.
Neurol Res Pract. 2021 Aug 30;3(1):47. doi: 10.1186/s42466-021-00147-8.
Measures taking aim at minimizing the risk of coronavirus transmission and fear of infection may affect decisions to seek care for other medical emergency conditions. The purpose of this analysis was to analyze intermediate-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on neuroradiological emergency consultations (NECs).
We conducted an ambispective study on NEC requests to a university hospital from a teleradiological network covering 13 hospitals in Germany. Weekly NEC rates for prepandemic calendar weeks (CW) 01/2019-09/2020 were compared with rates during first COVID-19 wave (CW 10-20/2020), first loosening of restrictions (CW 21-29/2020), intensified COVID-19 testing (CW 30-39/2020) and second COVID-19 wave (CW 40-53/2020), and contrasted with COVID-19 incidence in Germany.
A total of n = 10 810 NECs were analyzed. Prepandemic NEC rates were stable over time (median: 103, IQR: 97-115). Upon the first COVID-19 wave in Germany, NEC rates declined sharply (median: 86, IQR: 69-92; p < 0.001) but recovered within weeks. Changes in NEC rates after first loosening of restrictions (median: 109, IQR: 98-127; p = 0. 188), a phase of intensified testing (median: 111, IQR: 101-114; p = 0.434) and as of a second COVID-19 wave (median: 102, IQR: 94-112; p = 0. 462) were not significant. Likewise, patient age and gender distribution remained constant.
Upon the first pandemic COVID-19 wave in Germany, NEC rates declined but recovered within weeks. It is unknown whether this recovery reflects improved medical care and test capabilities or an adjustment of the patients' behaviour.
旨在将冠状病毒传播风险和感染恐惧降至最低的措施可能会影响因其他医疗紧急情况而寻求治疗的决策。本分析的目的是分析新冠疫情对神经放射学紧急会诊（NEC）的中期影响。
我们对来自覆盖德国13家医院的远程放射学网络向一家大学医院提出的NEC请求进行了一项前瞻性研究。将2019年1月至2020年9月疫情前日历周（CW）的每周NEC发生率与新冠疫情第一波期间（CW 10 - 20/2020）、首次放松限制期间（CW 21 - 29/2020）、强化新冠病毒检测期间（CW 30 - 39/2020）和新冠疫情第二波期间（CW 40 - 53/2020）的发生率进行比较，并与德国的新冠病毒发病率进行对比。
共分析了n = 10810例NEC。疫情前NEC发生率随时间保持稳定（中位数：103，四分位间距：97 - 115）。在德国新冠疫情第一波期间，NEC发生率急剧下降（中位数：86，四分位间距：69 - 92；p < 0.001），但在数周内恢复。首次放松限制后（中位数：109，四分位间距：98 - 127；p = 0.188）、强化检测阶段（中位数：111，四分位间距：101 - 114；p = 0.434）以及新冠疫情第二波期间（中位数：102，四分位间距：94 - 112；p = 0.462）NEC发生率的变化均无统计学意义。同样，患者的年龄和性别分布保持不变。
在德国新冠疫情第一波期间，NEC发生率下降，但在数周内恢复。尚不清楚这种恢复是反映了医疗护理和检测能力的改善还是患者行为的调整。
