Changes in the use of Otorhinolaryngology Emergency Department during the COVID-19 pandemic: report from Lombardy, Italy
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Changes in the use of Otorhinolaryngology Emergency Department during the COVID‑19 pandemic: report from Lombardy, Italy Fabrizia Elli1 · Mario Turri‑Zanoni1,2 · Alberto Daniele Arosio1 · Apostolos Karligkiotis1 · Paolo Battaglia1,2 · Paolo Castelnuovo1,2 Received: 19 May 2020 / Accepted: 8 June 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Purpose This paper aims to report the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on Emergency Ear nose and Throat (ENT) activity, in Lombardy (Italy), during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The number of accesses to Emergency Department requiring ENT consultations between February 21st and May 7th, 2020, was retrospectively collected, along with the conditions treated. Data were stratified in 1-week time spans, to evaluate the evolving trends during the on-going epidemic and a comparison with the two previous years was performed. Results A significant reduction in the number of consultations performed during the pandemic was observed, as high as − 91% compared to the same period of 2018. Conclusion Multiple reasons can explain such a reduction of Emergency ENT consultations, not least the fear of potentially being infected by SARS-CoV-2 by while accessing the hospital. The analysis performed might be useful as a starting point for a future reorganization of first aid consultations once the epidemic will be resolved. Keywords COVID 19 · Outpatients · Endoscopy · Emergency Department · ENT
Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic affected over 6 million cases causing more than 350,000 deaths globally up to the end of May 2020 [1]. Italy was the first-hit European country, now counting more than 230,000 SARS-CoV-2-positive cases and over 33,000 deaths [1]. Initially, uncertainty and underestimation of the disease created an unexpected situation that was accompanied by confusion and early disorganization. MTZ is a PhD student on the “Biotechnologies and Life Sciences” course et Università degli Studi of Insubria, Varese, Italy. No sponsorships or competing interests have been disclosed for this article. * Fabrizia Elli [email protected] 1
Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Via Guicciardini 9, 21100 Varese, Italy
Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Head and Neck Surgery and Forensic Dissection Research Center (HNS&FDRc), University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
2
A significant drop in visitations to the Emergency Department was observed during the last months of COVID-19 pandemic, probably due to both the lockdown imposed by Regional and National dispositions and concerns of a potential contagion among patients. The experience of a tertiary-care ear, nose and throat (ENT) Emergency Department was described and analysed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The period considered in this study, ranging between February 24th and May 7th, 2020, corresponds to the time laps between the spread of the virus in northern Italy and th
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