Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Split, 21 000 Split, Croatia.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Jun 29;60(7):1072. doi: 10.3390/medicina60071072.
: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the most frequently performed elective pediatric surgical procedures and the number of hospitalizations and compare it to the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. : The subjects were patients under 18 years of age who were regularly admitted for selected elective procedures in a single tertiary center in Croatia from 1 March to 31 August of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Data were collected from the electronic logs of surgical procedures and hospital admissions, logs of one-day surgeries, patients' medical records, and discharge letters. The primary outcome of this study was to determine the evolution of the number of elective surgical procedures before, during, and after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic; also, we aimed to confirm and objectify global data and statements about the decrease in the number of hospital admissions and surgical procedures. Secondary outcome measures included the length of hospitalization, the number and types of complications, and readmissions. : In 2020, the number of elective procedures decreased by 28.3% and the number of hospitalizations decreased by 36.2%; in 2021, the number of elective procedures decreased by 30.8% and the number of hospitalizations decreased by 14.2% compared to the pre-pandemic period (2019). In 2022, there was a 22.8% increase in elective procedures and a 2.9% decrease in hospitalizations compared to 2019. No statistical difference was found in the rates of complications between the individual years studied in terms of complications ( = 0.869). : The number of elective procedures and hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased significantly compared to the pre-pandemic period. After the healthcare system adapted to the conditions of the pandemic, the number of elective procedures increased significantly despite COVID-19, while the number of hospitalizations remained approximately the same as before the pandemic.
: 本回顾性研究旨在调查 COVID-19 大流行对最常进行的小儿择期手术程序以及住院人数的影响，并将其与大流行前和大流行后时期进行比较。 : 研究对象为 2019 年 3 月 1 日至 8 月 31 日期间，在克罗地亚一家三级中心定期接受选定的择期手术的 18 岁以下患者。数据来自手术程序和住院记录的电子日志、一日手术记录、患者病历和出院信。本研究的主要结果是确定 COVID-19 大流行高峰期前后择期手术数量的演变；我们还旨在确认和客观化全球数据和关于住院和手术数量减少的声明。次要结果指标包括住院时间、并发症的数量和类型以及再入院。 : 2020 年，择期手术数量减少了 28.3%，住院人数减少了 36.2%；2021 年，与大流行前（2019 年）相比，择期手术数量减少了 30.8%，住院人数减少了 14.2%。与 2019 年相比，2022 年择期手术增加了 22.8%，住院人数减少了 2.9%。就并发症而言，在所研究的个别年份中，并发症发生率没有统计学差异（=0.869）。 : COVID-19 大流行期间，择期手术和住院人数与大流行前相比显著减少。在医疗保健系统适应大流行条件后，尽管 COVID-19 存在，但择期手术数量显著增加，而住院人数与大流行前大致相同。
