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The Home Accident Cases Applying to The Pediatric Emergency Department during the Covid-19 Pandemic: What Did the Pandemic Change?
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  • Okşan Güleryüz,
  • Ozlem Colak,
  • Songul Tomar Güneysu,
  • İlknur FİDANCI
Okşan Güleryüz

Corresponding Author:oksan197@yahoo.com

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Ozlem Colak
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Songul Tomar Güneysu
Gazi University
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İlknur FİDANCI
Ankara Education and Research Hospital
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Abstract

Background: Whether the pandemic caused an increase in the number of home accidents (HA) admitted to the pediatric emergency department (PED) was investigated. Applications in a similar quarter in 2019 and 2020 were compared. Methods: The study was retrospective. Their demographic data, the reason for admission to the hospital, the time of admission, the length of hospital stay, intensive care rate, and interventional procedures were recorded. The two groups were compared to find whether there was any difference. Results: There were 700 and 597 admissions for specified reasons during the specified period in 2019 and 2020, respectively. In 2019, 9.46% of all cases admitted to the PED were HA whereas the rate was 24.43% in 2020. The male/female ratios were similar (p=0.520). The median age in 2020 (36 months) was significantly higher than that in 2019 (33 months) (p=0.010). The main clinical presentations also differed significantly. The incidence of falls, the gastric/intestinal foreign bodies, and the penetrating stab injuries were significantly higher in those in 2020 (p<0.001). Significant differences were also found regarding diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. During the specified period in 2019, 623 patients (89.5%) were discharged from the PED. The rate of discharge in 2020 (84.9%) was significantly lower. Also, there were significantly more hospitalizations in other wards in 2020 than those in 2019 (3.7% vs. 1.0%) (p=0.004). Conclusion: The Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in the number of HAs cases admitted to the PED relative to all hospital admissions. The most common type of accident was falls, as in the non-pandemic period. The pandemic caused delays in accessing healthcare services, especially for critically ill patients, more frequent hospitalizations, and a decrease in the rate of discharge from the PED.