Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Introduction COVID-19 rapidly spread throughout the world. Stay-at-home and social distance strategies accompanied by fear of contamination with COVID-19 caused significant disruptions in daily life. The study focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency visit and patients’ o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | BMC Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-023-00887-7 |
| _version_ | 1827724202373808128 |
|---|---|
| author | Vahid Ghanbari Alireza Khatony Maryam Janatolmakan Shahab Rezaeian Leili Rostamnia |
| author_facet | Vahid Ghanbari Alireza Khatony Maryam Janatolmakan Shahab Rezaeian Leili Rostamnia |
| author_sort | Vahid Ghanbari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction COVID-19 rapidly spread throughout the world. Stay-at-home and social distance strategies accompanied by fear of contamination with COVID-19 caused significant disruptions in daily life. The study focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency visit and patients’ outcome in the emergency department (ED). Method Administrative and clinical data of 25-hospital EDs in Kermanshah province of Iran from February 20, 2020, to February 18, 2021, were retrospectively analyzed with the comparable periods in the previous year. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was used to compare the differences between the pandemic and the pre-pandemic period. Result The number of ED visits decreased nearly 50% after the declaration of a national lockdown. Moreover, the proportion of patients triaged in ESI 1 and 2 levels increased by 40 and 52%, respectively. The ratio of patients admitted to intensive care units and discharged against medical advice also increased significantly. Conclusion Despite the number of ED visits sharply declining, the ratio of patients who came to EDs with higher acuity significantly increased. So, health authorities must sensitize the public about life-threatening signs and symptoms in such conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:11:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-736325d141a247acac046cbf8bdffcf7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-227X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:11:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-736325d141a247acac046cbf8bdffcf72023-11-19T12:34:50ZengBMCBMC Emergency Medicine1471-227X2023-09-012311810.1186/s12873-023-00887-7Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional studyVahid Ghanbari0Alireza Khatony1Maryam Janatolmakan2Shahab Rezaeian3Leili Rostamnia4School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesSocial Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesSocial Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesInfectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesAbstract Introduction COVID-19 rapidly spread throughout the world. Stay-at-home and social distance strategies accompanied by fear of contamination with COVID-19 caused significant disruptions in daily life. The study focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency visit and patients’ outcome in the emergency department (ED). Method Administrative and clinical data of 25-hospital EDs in Kermanshah province of Iran from February 20, 2020, to February 18, 2021, were retrospectively analyzed with the comparable periods in the previous year. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was used to compare the differences between the pandemic and the pre-pandemic period. Result The number of ED visits decreased nearly 50% after the declaration of a national lockdown. Moreover, the proportion of patients triaged in ESI 1 and 2 levels increased by 40 and 52%, respectively. The ratio of patients admitted to intensive care units and discharged against medical advice also increased significantly. Conclusion Despite the number of ED visits sharply declining, the ratio of patients who came to EDs with higher acuity significantly increased. So, health authorities must sensitize the public about life-threatening signs and symptoms in such conditions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-023-00887-7COVID-19PandemicHealthcareEmergency DepartmentEmergency Care |
| spellingShingle | Vahid Ghanbari Alireza Khatony Maryam Janatolmakan Shahab Rezaeian Leili Rostamnia Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study BMC Emergency Medicine COVID-19 Pandemic Healthcare Emergency Department Emergency Care |
| title | Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Emergency care utilization and patients’ outcome before and after COVID-19 national lockdown in Iran: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | emergency care utilization and patients outcome before and after covid 19 national lockdown in iran a cross sectional study |
| topic | COVID-19 Pandemic Healthcare Emergency Department Emergency Care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-023-00887-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vahidghanbari emergencycareutilizationandpatientsoutcomebeforeandaftercovid19nationallockdowniniranacrosssectionalstudy AT alirezakhatony emergencycareutilizationandpatientsoutcomebeforeandaftercovid19nationallockdowniniranacrosssectionalstudy AT maryamjanatolmakan emergencycareutilizationandpatientsoutcomebeforeandaftercovid19nationallockdowniniranacrosssectionalstudy AT shahabrezaeian emergencycareutilizationandpatientsoutcomebeforeandaftercovid19nationallockdowniniranacrosssectionalstudy AT leilirostamnia emergencycareutilizationandpatientsoutcomebeforeandaftercovid19nationallockdowniniranacrosssectionalstudy |