Pandemia por Covid19: otras consecuencias
- Jesús Conde-Freire
- Antía Pérez-López 1
- Ana Rodríguez-Álvarez
- Cristina Gil-Moure 2
- Elena Rodríguez-Ameijeiras 1
- Manuel Francisco Liroa-Romero
- Mercedes Bal-Alvarado
- Emilio Casariego-Vales
- 1 Servicio de Medicina Interna. Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti. Lugo
- 2 Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición. Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti. Lugo
ISSN: 0304-4866, 1989-3922
Year of publication: 2021
Volume: 82
Issue: 1
Pages: 5-8
Type: Article
More publications in: Galicia Clínica
Abstract
Objective: Describe the evolution of the Emergency Department and the hospital admissions in the medical area of a general hospital during the initial phases of the COVID19 pandemic and after the state of alarm established in Spain. Methodology: Observational study of the patients who were admitted in the Emergency Department and the admissions in medical services from 1st to 31th of March in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 in a general hospital. The beginning of the state of alarm was considered at 00.00 on March 14th of 2020 and a cut-off point is also taken into account between two periods: before the state of alert (March 1st-13th) and the state of alert (March 14th-31th). Results: After the state of alarm, the admission of patients decrease in the Emergency Department by 65.1% and the income in medical areas was increased in 93.8%. Despite this, the average of incomes per day decreased by 33%. However, Internal Medicine (including COVID19 area) had a daily average of 10.5 (SD 6.3) patients, slightly higher than the one registered in previous years. Conclusions: In the first weeks after the state of alarm due to COVID19 pandemic, the attendance in the Emergency Department decreased about two thirds and the incomes in medical areas decreased a third in all areas of a general hospital. On the other hand, Internal Medicine (included COVID-19 area) maintained the same averages