Trecca Eleonora M C, Gaffuri Michele, Molinari Giulia, Russo Francesca Yoshie, Turri-Zanoni Mario, Albera Andrea, di Lullo Antonella Miriam, Russo Gennaro, Mannelli Giuditta, Ralli Massimo
Research group of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology of the Task Force of the Young Otolaryngologists of the Italian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2023 Oct;43(5):352-359. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N2452. Epub 2023 Jul 28.
The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly modified the work routine in healthcare; however, its impact on the field of paediatric otorhinolaryngology (ORL) has been rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on paediatric ORL.
A questionnaire was developed by the Young Otolaryngologists of the Italian Society of ORL-Head and Neck Surgery (GOS). The questionnaire consisted of 26 questions related to workplace and personal paediatric ORL activities. The link was advertised on the official social media platforms and sent by e-mail to 469 Italian otolaryngologists.
The questionnaire was completed by 118 responders. During the pandemic, the main reduction was observed for surgical activity (78.8%), followed by outpatient service (16.9%). The conditions that were mostly impacted by a delayed diagnosis were respiratory infections in 45.8% of cases and sensorineural hearing loss in 37.3% of cases.
Paediatric ORL was highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant reduction of surgical and outpatient activities and a delay in time-sensitive diagnosis. Therefore, the implementation of new strategies, such as telemedicine, is recommended.
新冠疫情深刻改变了医疗保健工作的日常安排；然而，其对小儿耳鼻咽喉科（ORL）领域的影响鲜有研究。本研究旨在评估新冠疫情对小儿ORL的影响。
意大利耳鼻咽喉-头颈外科学会（GOS）的年轻耳鼻咽喉科医生编制了一份问卷。该问卷包含26个与小儿ORL工作场所和个人活动相关的问题。问卷链接在官方社交媒体平台上发布，并通过电子邮件发送给469名意大利耳鼻咽喉科医生。
118名受访者完成了问卷。在疫情期间，手术活动减少最为明显（78.8%），其次是门诊服务（16.9%）。受诊断延迟影响最大的情况是，45.8%的病例为呼吸道感染，37.3%的病例为感音神经性听力损失。
小儿ORL受到新冠疫情的严重影响，手术和门诊活动显著减少，对时间敏感的诊断出现延迟。因此，建议实施远程医疗等新策略。
