Authors (including presenting author) :
Ho SL(1),Lau J(1), Wang CT(1), Cheung SL(1), Wong KF(1), Leung SK(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Surgery, Tuen Mun Hospital
Introduction :
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) impacted Hong Kong in early January 2020. Quarantine and social distancing measures have been implemented to prevent disease spread. It is believed that it has reduced patient’s desire to seek medical help in case of emergencies.
Objectives :
This study aims to investigate the impact of this pandemic on the clinical course of acute appendicitis.
Methodology :
Retrospective cohort study was carried out in our cluster to compare the acute appendicitis cases during pandemic period, 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2020, with the same period one year before. Parameters including time of presentation, complicated appendicitis rate, operative time, post-operative complication rate, and total length of stay were compared and analysed.
Result & Outcome :
A total number of 348 patients (160 in pre-COVID group VS 188 in post-COVID group) were included. There is no significant difference in basic demographics. The time of presentation was significantly longer in March (3.75 days vs 1.56 days, p=0.031)and June 2020(3.02 days vs 1.88 days , p=0.026) compared with the pre-COVID group, which correlate with the spike of local confirmed cases. There was a significantly higher incidence of complicated appendicitis (67% vs 52%, p = 0.028) and post-operative complication rate (29% vs 7%, p = 0.042) in February post-COVID group compare with the pre-COVID group. In conclusion, during the COVID-19 pandemic period, more patients with acute appendicitis presented late to the hospital, with an increase in complicated appendicitis rate and post-operative complication rate. We should educate citizens to seek medical advice promptly during pandemic in order to avoid worsening outcomes.
