TY - JOUR
T1 - Multicenter cohort study on the presentation and treatment of acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Huijgen, Demi
AU - de Wijkerslooth, Elisabeth M.L.
AU - Janssen, Josephine C.
AU - Beverdam, Frédérique H.
AU - Boerma, Evert Jan G.
AU - Dekker, Jan Willem T.
AU - Kitonga, Sophia
AU - van Rossem, Charles C.
AU - Schreurs, Wilhelmina H.
AU - Toorenvliet, Boudewijn R.
AU - Vermaas, Maarten
AU - Wijnhoven, Bas P.L.
AU - van den Boom, Anne Loes
N1 - Funding Information:
E.M.L. de Wijkerslooth and A.L. van den Boom were supported by a grant from ZonMw (The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development; project no. 848015008). ZonMw had no role in the design or conduct of this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/5
Y1 - 2022/5
N2 - Purpose: Current studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding surgical care for acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess trends in diagnosis as well as treatment of acute appendicitis in the Netherlands during the first and second COVID-19 infection wave. Methods: All consecutive patients that had an appendectomy for acute appendicitis in nine hospitals from January 2019 to December 2020 were included. The primary outcome was the number of appendectomies for acute appendicitis. Secondary outcomes included time between onset of symptoms and hospital admission, proportion of complex appendicitis, postoperative length of stay and postoperative infectious complications. Outcomes were compared between the pre-COVID group and COVID group. Results: A total of 4401 patients were included. The mean weekly rate of appendectomies during the COVID period was 44.0, compared to 40.9 in the pre-COVID period. The proportion of patients with complex appendicitis and mean postoperative length of stay in days were similar in the pre-COVID and COVID group (respectively 35.5% vs 36.8%, p = 0.36 and 2.0 ± 2.2 vs 2.0 ± 2.6, p = 0.93). There were no differences in postoperative infectious complications. A computed tomography scan was used more frequently as a diagnostic tool after the onset of COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID (13.8% vs 9.8%, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: No differences were observed in number of appendectomies, proportion of complex appendicitis, postoperative length of stay or postoperative infectious complications before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A CT scan was used more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AB - Purpose: Current studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding surgical care for acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess trends in diagnosis as well as treatment of acute appendicitis in the Netherlands during the first and second COVID-19 infection wave. Methods: All consecutive patients that had an appendectomy for acute appendicitis in nine hospitals from January 2019 to December 2020 were included. The primary outcome was the number of appendectomies for acute appendicitis. Secondary outcomes included time between onset of symptoms and hospital admission, proportion of complex appendicitis, postoperative length of stay and postoperative infectious complications. Outcomes were compared between the pre-COVID group and COVID group. Results: A total of 4401 patients were included. The mean weekly rate of appendectomies during the COVID period was 44.0, compared to 40.9 in the pre-COVID period. The proportion of patients with complex appendicitis and mean postoperative length of stay in days were similar in the pre-COVID and COVID group (respectively 35.5% vs 36.8%, p = 0.36 and 2.0 ± 2.2 vs 2.0 ± 2.6, p = 0.93). There were no differences in postoperative infectious complications. A computed tomography scan was used more frequently as a diagnostic tool after the onset of COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID (13.8% vs 9.8%, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: No differences were observed in number of appendectomies, proportion of complex appendicitis, postoperative length of stay or postoperative infectious complications before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A CT scan was used more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128053263&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00384-022-04137-3
DO - 10.1007/s00384-022-04137-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 35415811
AN - SCOPUS:85128053263
SN - 0179-1958
VL - 37
SP - 1087
EP - 1095
JO - International Journal of Colorectal Disease
JF - International Journal of Colorectal Disease
IS - 5
ER -