Lagos State University College of Medicine, Surgery (Neurosurgery Unit).
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Surgery (Neurological Surgery Unity).
Afr Health Sci. 2022 Sep;22(3):512-519. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v22i3.55.
COVID-19 pandemic may decrease the quantum of care for patients with neurosurgical conditions.
To determine outpatient clinic (OPC) patient load, neurosurgical procedures volume and disease spectrum following the institution of a new care protocol during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and compare with previous practice data in our institution.
A monocentric retrospective analysis of all patients requiring neurosurgical care over a 2-year period.
There was a 42.4% reduction in OPC attendance and 41.8% reduction in surgical procedures in 2020 compared to 2019. There was >60 percent reduction in the volume of surgery that was done at the onset and peak of the pandemic but this has normalized in November 2020 despite the resurgence of COVID-19, after the institution of a new care protocol. Neurotrauma procedures (29.6%) were the most common neurosurgical operation in 2020 while congenital malformation surgery (37.3%) was the most common procedure performed in 2019.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic initially led to significant decrease in quantum and spectra of patients who presented at the OPC and for neurosurgical procedures. Instituted local protocol and Teleclinics, if added to clinical care armamentarium, may help to improve on the low patient attendance during pandemics.
COVID-19 大流行可能会减少神经外科疾病患者的护理量。
确定在当前 COVID-19 大流行期间实施新护理方案后，门诊（OPC）患者就诊量、神经外科手术量和疾病谱，并与我院以往的实践数据进行比较。
对 2 年内所有需要神经外科治疗的患者进行单中心回顾性分析。
与 2019 年相比，2020 年 OPC 就诊人数减少了 42.4%，手术量减少了 41.8%。在大流行开始和高峰期，手术量减少了 60%以上，但在实施新护理方案后，2020 年 11 月已恢复正常，尽管 COVID-19 再次出现。神经创伤手术（29.6%）是 2020 年最常见的神经外科手术，而先天性畸形手术（37.3%）是 2019 年最常见的手术。
COVID-19 大流行的持续发生，最初导致 OPC 就诊和神经外科手术的患者数量和类型明显减少。制定当地方案和远程医疗，如果加入临床治疗手段，可能有助于在大流行期间提高患者就诊率。
