Management of the surgical patient during the first and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: Experience of a tertiary care center.

DOI 10.5281/zenodo.6529681

​

Nayak J. et al. Management of the surgical patient during the first and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: Experience of a tertiary care center. Am J Med Surg • May 2022; 8(1). 1-5.

​

ABSTRACT: Objective: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic healthcare providers all over the world had brought some changes in the management of surgical patients. This study aimed to estimate the impact of the pandemic on surgical practices.

Material and method: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of all patients admitted to the department of general surgery (both elective & emergency), SCB Medical college and Hospital, Odisha, India from April 1 to July 31 2020 and 2021 and the records were compared to those of patients who were admitted in the same period in 2019. Data collection includes the number of admissions, the reason for admission, the age & gender of the patients admitted patients and type of management.

Result: There was a 57.5% reduction in total admission during first covid pandemic in 2020 and 58.7% reduction during second wave of pandemic in 2021. The proportion of patient presenting to emergency department was more in 2020 and 2021 than 2019. Number of emergency admission decreased by 46.54% in 2020 and 46% in 2021.There was a 79.5% drop in the number of out-patients admission in 2020 and 84% in 2021. Furthermore a 79.8% reduction in elective surgical intervention noticed in 2020 and 80% in 2021.Conservative management was preferred over surgical management during the covid era.

Conclusion: COVID-19 has led to a drastic reduction in outpatient and elective surgical practices. Hence creating a major concern for all surgeons about the critical situation.

 

Keywords:

COVID-19, Surgical management, pandemic.