Ohana Nissim, Baruch Yuval, Tavdi Alex, Palmanovich Ezequiel, Benharroch Daniel, Engel Itzhak, Yaacobi Eyal
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Sabba, affiliated with Faculty of Medicine, TAU, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Spine Surgery Unit, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Sabba, affiliated with Faculty of Medicine, TAU, Tel Aviv, Israel.
J Int Med Res. 2024 Dec;52(12):3000605241302010. doi: 10.1177/03000605241302010.
We examined fluctuations in emergency department (ED) visits for nonspecific back and neck pain during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored potential contributing factors.
This retrospective cohort study included patients who presented to the ED with nonspecific back and neck pain between January 2019 and December 2021. Demographic data, visit frequencies, and clinical outcomes were analyzed to assess the impact of the pandemic on visit patterns.
A total of 1245 ED visits were recorded. Visits decreased by 30% during the peak of the pandemic, with a gradual return to baseline by mid-2021. No significant changes in patient demographics or clinical outcomes were noted during the pandemic. However, a proportional increase in neck pain visits was observed.
The observed decline in visits may be linked to pandemic-related concerns, such as fear of exposure in the hospital and reduced activities. The increased neck pain visits highlights the potential influence of pandemic-related stress and lifestyle changes. Visit patterns rebounded as the pandemic eased, indicating a temporary decrease unrelated to condition severity. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily affected ED visits for nonspecific back and neck pain. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of the pandemic on health care utilization.
我们研究了2019冠状病毒病大流行期间因非特异性背痛和颈痛到急诊科就诊的波动情况，并探讨了潜在的影响因素。
这项回顾性队列研究纳入了2019年1月至2021年12月期间因非特异性背痛和颈痛到急诊科就诊的患者。分析人口统计学数据、就诊频率和临床结局，以评估大流行对就诊模式的影响。
共记录了1245次急诊科就诊。在大流行高峰期，就诊次数减少了30%，到2021年年中逐渐恢复到基线水平。在大流行期间，患者人口统计学或临床结局没有显著变化。然而，观察到颈痛就诊次数成比例增加。
观察到的就诊次数下降可能与大流行相关的担忧有关，如害怕在医院接触和活动减少。颈痛就诊次数增加突出了大流行相关压力和生活方式改变的潜在影响。随着大流行缓解，就诊模式反弹，表明这是与病情严重程度无关的暂时下降。2019冠状病毒病大流行暂时影响了因非特异性背痛和颈痛到急诊科的就诊。需要进一步研究以探讨大流行对医疗保健利用的长期影响。
