Unanticipated consequences of C0VID-19 pandemic policies on pediatric acute appendicitis surgery
Topic overview
Retrospective study examining COVID-19 pandemic's impact on pediatric appendicitis presentation and outcomes at a tertiary care center. Complicated appendicitis rates increased significantly during pandemic (38.8% vs 28.3%), with longer antibiotic duration, operative times, and travel distances, suggesting delayed care-seeking and unintended consequences of pandemic policies on surgical disease management.
Key takeaways
- Complicated appendicitis rates increased significantly during COVID-19 (38.8% vs 28.3%, p<0.001), likely due to delayed care-seeking.
- Surgery duration, antibiotic duration, and readmission rates all increased during the pandemic period despite similar symptom duration.
- Centralization policies directing all pediatric appendicitis to tertiary centers increased travel distances and strained resources.
- Pandemic avoidance behavior and lockdown policies had unintended consequences on acute surgical disease presentation and outcomes.
- Younger age distribution pre-pandemic suggests demographic shifts in appendicitis presentation during COVID-19 period.
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