Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Ümraniye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul-Türkiye.
Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022 Dec;28(12):1674-1681. doi: 10.14744/tjtes.2021.51000.
The present study aimed to investigate the changes in the course of acute appendicitis during the pandemic period by comparing the cases treated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with those in the pre-pandemic period.
The study was conducted with 601 children aged 1-18 years who were operated for acute appendicitis between May 1, 2019, and February 29, 2020 (Group I) and between March 1 and December 31, 2020 (Group II). The demographic and disease characteristics as well as the treatment processes were compared between the groups.
It was found that 59.1% (n=355) of the cases included in the study were in Group I and 40.9% (n=246) were in Group II. During the pandemic period; due to the concerns of families about contracting a contagious disease for both themselves and their children, and warnings by health professionals and government officials that they should not leave their homes and not come to the hospital unless there is an emergency, the time to apply to the hospital has been extended. Before the pandemic, 20.3% of the patients presented to the hospital on the 1st day of their complaints, where during the pandemic, only 2% of the patients reported to the hospital on the 1st day, and 15% presented after 4 days or more. As a result, the rate of perforated appendicitis, which was formerly 10.4%, increased to 24.8% during the pandemic period (p<0.01). During the pandemic, we operated on four patients with positive COVID-19 test results. There were no complications related to COVID-19 and surgery in our patients.
Concern of the current pandemic resulted in late presentation to the hospital, increase in the number of perforated appendicitis, and prolonged hospital stay.
本研究旨在通过比较新冠疫情期间和疫情前的病例，探讨急性阑尾炎病程的变化。
本研究纳入了 2019 年 5 月 1 日至 2020 年 2 月 29 日（第 I 组）和 2020 年 3 月 1 日至 12 月 31 日（第 II 组）期间因急性阑尾炎而接受手术的 601 名 1-18 岁儿童。比较了两组的人口统计学和疾病特征以及治疗过程。
研究发现，601 例病例中，59.1%（n=355）来自第 I 组，40.9%（n=246）来自第 II 组。在疫情期间，由于家庭对自身和孩子感染传染病的担忧，以及卫生专业人员和政府官员的警告，即他们不应离开家，除非有紧急情况，不应去医院，因此，到医院就诊的时间延长了。在疫情之前，20.3%的患者在出现症状的第 1 天就到医院就诊，而在疫情期间，只有 2%的患者在第 1 天到医院就诊，15%的患者在第 4 天或更晚就诊。因此，穿孔性阑尾炎的比例从前的 10.4%上升到了 24.8%（p<0.01）。在疫情期间，我们对 4 例新冠病毒检测结果阳性的患者进行了手术。我们的患者中没有与新冠病毒和手术相关的并发症。
目前的疫情担忧导致就诊时间延迟、穿孔性阑尾炎数量增加和住院时间延长。
