Arch Hand Microsurg.  2021 Dec;26(4):218-223. 10.12790/ahm.21.0119.

Evaluation of Hospital Avoidance at Department of Hand Surgery in Tertiary Hospital after Infectious Disease Outbreaks

• Lee SH
• Shin HD
• Cha SM
• Choi ES

• KMID: 2522618
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12790/ahm.21.0119

Abstract

Purpose
To compare the impact of hospital avoidance on the department of hand surgery at a tertiary hospital in Daejeon in the wake of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and COVID-19 outbreaks.
Methods
This is a retrospective comparative study of patients who were treated at the department of hand surgery in a tertiary hospital of a local community. We analyzed patients who were treated during the MERS-CoV and COVID-19 outbreaks. Controls included patients who were treated in the previous year during the same months. The number of outpatient visits and surgeries were compared to examine the difference from the previous year during the epidemic period of each infectious disease, and changes in demographic factors, the ratio of first and second visits, and the ratio of scheduled and emergent surgeries.
Results
Under MERS-CoV, outpatient visits decreased by 9.7% and surgeries by 26.5% for three months. In June 2015, when MERS-CoV was widespread in Daejeon, the number of outpatients and surgeries dropped by 25.3% and 42.8%, respectively. During COVID-19, outpatient visits decreased by 4.3% and surgeries increased by 2.9%. However, when COVID-19 was most prevalent in Daejeon, the number of outpatients and surgeries increased by 36.6% and 31.1%, respectively.
Conclusion
The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 on the department of hand surgery at a tertiary hospital in Daejeon was limited, compared to the MERS-CoV epidemic in 2015, which can be attributed to improved infectious disease response capabilities.

Keyword

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus; COVID-19; Infectious disease; Hand surgery; Hospital avoidance

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) epidemic and outpatients’ volume at the department of hand surgery.

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  Fig. 2. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and outpatients’ volume at the department of hand surgery.

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  Fig. 3. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) epidemic and the volume of hand surgery.

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  Fig. 4. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and the volume of hand surgery.

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