Shen Bisheng, Chen Baoxin, Li Kuangyi, Cheng Weiyin, Mofatteh Mohammad, Regenhardt Robert W, Wellington Jack, Liang Zhangrong, Tang Qi, Chen Jingli, Chen Yimin
Department of Emergency Medicine, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, People's Republic of China.
Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2023 Jul 19;16:1309-1316. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S415704. eCollection 2023.
This study aimed to highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on emergency department (ED) visits of non-COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital and evaluate protocol development during this period.
Clinical data of patients who visited the ED of Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the first-level response in Foshan, Guangdong province in 2020 (from January 23 to February 24) and the same period in 2019 and 2021 were collected. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed to understand the characteristics of critically ill patients and compare the proportion of hospitalizations, deaths, and emergency ambulance calls (EACs).
The number of patients presenting to the ED was significantly decreased, with a 37.75% reduction in 2020 (6196) compared to the same period in 2019 (9954). A rise in patient ED presentations was observed in the same period in 2021 (10,503). This decline was mostly in the 15-45 age group. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, critically ill patients treated by the ED totaled 568 (5.706%), 339 (5.495%), and 590 (5.617%), respectively. Compared to the same period in 2019 and 2021, the proportion of critically ill patients with respiratory system involvement, severe trauma, and poisoning decreased most significantly in 2020 (P<0.05). In contrast, the rates of EACs, hospitalizations, and deaths increased significantly (P<0.05).
The number of ED visits to hospitals was decreased during the 2020 lockdown, while the rates of EACs, hospitalizations, and deaths increased significantly though there were no documented COVID-19 cases. Optimizing emergency medical resources and ensuring the safety of healthcare providers and patients were essential to provide efficient emergency diagnosis and treatment during the lockdown.
本研究旨在突出2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行封锁对一家三级医院非COVID-19患者急诊就诊的影响，并评估这一时期的方案制定情况。
收集2020年（1月23日至2月24日）广东省佛山市一级响应期间、2019年同期及2021年佛山市中医院急诊科就诊患者的临床资料。进行回顾性横断面分析，以了解危重症患者的特征，并比较住院、死亡及紧急救护车呼叫（EAC）的比例。
到急诊科就诊的患者数量显著减少，2020年（6196例）相较于2019年同期（9954例）减少了37.75%。2021年同期观察到患者到急诊科就诊人数有所上升（10503例）。这种下降主要发生在15至45岁年龄组。2019年、2020年和2021年，急诊科治疗的危重症患者分别为568例（5.706%）、339例（5.495%）和590例（5.617%）。与2019年和2021年同期相比，2020年呼吸系统受累、严重创伤及中毒的危重症患者比例下降最为显著（P<0.05）。相比之下，EAC、住院及死亡发生率显著上升（P<0.05）。
2020年封锁期间医院的急诊就诊人数减少，尽管没有记录到COVID-19病例，但EAC、住院及死亡发生率显著上升。优化急诊医疗资源并确保医护人员和患者的安全对于在封锁期间提供高效的急诊诊断和治疗至关重要。
