Analysis of patient clinical characteristics visiting single regional emergency department in COVID-19 pandemic era: a before-and-after observational study

Choi, Jingook; Jung, Haewon; Ahn, Jae Yun; Ryoo, Hyun Wook; Moon, Sungbae; Cho, Jae Wan; Seo, Kang Suk; Park, Jungbae

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 33(1); 2022 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2022;33(1): 60-68.

코로나19 대유행 시기 전후 일개 지역 응급의료센터를 방문한 환자의 임상적 특성 분석

최진국

경북대학교 의과대학 응급의학교실

Analysis of patient clinical characteristics visiting single regional emergency department in COVID-19 pandemic era: a before-and-after observational study

Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence

Haewon Jung ,Tel: 053-420-6400, Fax: 053-428-2820, Email: blueseahw@naver.com,

Received: March 21, 2021; Revised: June 28, 2021 Accepted: July 20, 2021. Published online: February 28, 2022.

ABSTRACT

Objective:
This study aimed at analyzing the clinical characteristics of patients visiting the emergency department (ED) and pre-triage clinic during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era in Daegu, South Korea.
Method:
We conducted a retrospective observational study by using the medical records of patients who visited the ED and pre-triage clinic from February 22 to March 31, 2020 and comparing them with the corresponding period in 2019.
Results:
The number of patients visiting the ED per day decreased from 122 (115-138) to 77 (66-93). The percentage of patients with respiratory infection increased from 6.6% to 15.4% (P<0.001). The length of the ED stay increased from 269 (150-562) to 559 (293-941) minutes, especially in patients with fever (P<0.001). The rate of injured and less urgent patients decreased from 24.7 to 13.2 and 53.4% to 50.2%, respectively (P<0.001). Sixty-one-point nine percent of patients visiting the ED were triaged and discharged at the pre-triage clinic without entering the ED.
Conclusion:
In the COVID-19 pandemic era, there was an increase in the proportion of patients with fever and respiratory symptoms and a decrease in the proportion of injured patients. At the pre-triage clinic, a significant number of patients with suspected COVID-19 or less urgent conditions were treated and discharged without their having to enter the ED.

Key words: Triage; COVID-19; Emergency department