Impact of coronavirus disease on acute appendicitis cases

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Disease profiles have changed in the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we aimed to compare acute appendicitis cases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 130 patients were diagnosed with AA and operated between the days of first COVID-19 case on March 11, 2020, and May 11, 2020, and the same period of the previous year. Data of the patients were extracted from electronic archive of the hospital. Those patients were stratified into two groups; pandemic group and pre-pandemic group. The pandemic group comprised 46 patients and the pre-pandemic group, 84 patients. The two groups were compared in terms of age, gender, duration of symptoms, length of hospital stay, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein levels, and post-operative complications. RESULTS: The median days passed from onset of abdominal pain to submission were 6.5 days in the pandemic period. However, it was 3 days in the pre-pandemic group (p<0.001). Other parameters were not statistically different between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic period, delay in hospital submissions has attracted attention. However, delayed treatment did not reflect to the clinic as more severe disease.