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. 2022 Dec;16(6):2367-2370.
doi: 10.1017/dmp.2021.182. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

COVID-19: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Pandemic's Effect on an Emergency Department

Avram Flamm  1 , Alexander Lee  2 , Francis Mencl  3
Affiliations

COVID-19: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Pandemic's Effect on an Emergency Department

Avram Flamm et al. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) is a historic pandemic severely impacting health care. This study examines its early effect on a busy academic emergency department.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients from an academic tertiary care Level I trauma, cardiac and stroke center's emergency department seeing an average of 54,000 adults and 21,000 pediatric patients per year. Total visits, reasons for patient visits, demographics, disposition, and length of stay were analyzed from January through July 2020 and compared with the same time period in the previous 2 y.

Results: From March through July 2020 there were statistically significant decreases in the total number of patient visits (-47%) especially among pediatric (-73%) and elderly (-43%) patients and those with cardiovascular (-39%), neurological (-63%) complaints, headaches (-60%), back pain (-64%), abdominal pain (-51%), and minor trauma (-71%). There was, however, a significant increase in pulmonary complaints (+54%), as well as admissions (+32%), and length of stay (+40%).

Conclusions: There was a significant drop in overall patients and select groups early in the pandemic, while admissions and emergency department length of stay both increased. This has implications for future pandemic planning.

Keywords: disaster medicine; disaster planning; emergency medical services; emergency medicine; mass casualty incidents.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Comparison of ED Visits January through July, 2018-2020.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Significant decreases during early COVID-19 period – April 2020.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Comparison of admissions and length of stay during the early COVID-19 period.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Comparison of % pulmonary complaints and admissions due to pulmonary cases during the early COVID-19 period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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