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Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2025;36(1): 12-19. |
| Incidence of complicated appendicitis before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative analysis |
Haksoo Kim1
, Dongkil Jeong1
, Young Soon Cho2
, Geum Jong Song3
, Hyung Jun Moon1
, Tae Yong Shin1
, Dong Wook Lee1
, Hyun Joon Kim1
, Hyun Jung Lee1
, Sun In Hong4
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1Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea
2Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea
3Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea
4Department of Infectology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea |
| Correspondence |
Dongkil Jeong ,Tel: 041-570-2891, Fax: 041-592-3806, Email: 397012@gmail.com,
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Received: October 10, 2023; Revised: October 20, 2023 Accepted: October 21, 2023. Published online: February 28, 2025. |
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| ABSTRACT |
Objective:
It has been 1 year since the start of the worldwide coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study analyzed the indirect effects of COVID-19 on treating patients with non-infectious diseases by comparing the incidence of complicated appendicitis before and after the pandemic.
Method:
The target group included patients aged at least 16 years diagnosed with acute appendicitis between February 23 and July 31, 2020. Patients diagnosed during the same period in 2019 were selected as the control group. The differences in the incidence of complicated appendicitis before and after COVID-19 were investigated, and the association with various variables was analyzed using the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results:
The study included 120 subjects in 2019 (pre-COVID group) and 119 cases in 2020 (post-COVID group). The pre-COVID group included 25 cases (20.8%) of complicated appendicitis, while the post-COVID group included 48 cases (40.3%). The median time from symptom onset to visit (pre-hospital time) increased from 15 to 22 hours, and the median time from the visit to surgery (in-hospital time) increased from 7 to 11 hours. Multivariate regression analysis of the three variables revealed odds ratios (95% CIs) of pre-hospital time, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and inclusion in the post-COVID group of 1.02 (1.01-1.02), 2.07 (1.11-3.86), and 2.15 (1.12-4.11), respectively.
Conclusion:
The incidence of complicated appendicitis increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, a healthcare system that can minimize the delay in treating non-infectious emergency patients is needed. |
| Key words:
COVID-19; Korea; Appendicitis |
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