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Delayed presentation of children to the emergency department during the first wave of COVID‐19 pandemic in Italy: Area‐based cohort study

2021; Wiley; Volume: 110; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/apa.16019

1651-2227

Franca Rusconi, Valeria Di Fabrizio, Monia Puglia, Michela Sica, Rita De Santis, Stefano Masi, Luigi Gagliardi,

Trauma and Emergency Care Studies

Abstract Aim To ascertain a delay in attendances to the emergency department (ED) during 2020 lockdown. Methods Area‐based cohort study on paediatric (0‐15 years) attendances resulting in hospital admission in Tuscany, Italy, in February‐May 2020, and the corresponding periods in 2018‐19. We analysed times from symptom onset to arrival, the odds of arriving late (>90th centile of time) and paediatricians’ judgements of a late presentation by logistic models. Results As expected, ED attendance fell sharply (−62%) in 2020 vs 2018‐19. As for cases studied (455 in 2020 and 1161 in 2018–19), we documented a delay in arrival to the ED in 2020 versus 2018–19 for several groups of diagnoses, namely gastroenteritis, sepsis, wounds, burns and infections overall. Time to presentation over 90th centile was also higher in 2020 (odds ratio, OR: 1.44; 95% confidence interval: 1.00, 2.06), as were paediatricians’ judgements of a late arrival (18.9% of cases in 2020 vs. 13.4% in 2018‐19; OR: 1.58; 1.14, 2.19) Conclusion In a population‐based cohort, delayed attendances to ED ascertained both subjectively and objectively convey the message to families and to paediatricians to seek hospital care in case of severe or unremitting symptoms and not to wait longer than they normally would.