Changes in pediatric seizure-related emergency department attendances during COVID-19 – A territory-wide observational study
Abstract
A territory-wide retrospective observational study was conducted in Hong Kong between January 23 to April 22, 2020 to demonstrate changes in pediatric seizure-related accident and emergency department (A&E) visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parallel periods from 2015 to 2019 were used as control.
All-cause A&E attendances in all paediatric age groups decreased significantly during the study period. Seizure-related attendances decreased across all pediatric age-groups in 2020 (RR 0.379, 95% CI 0.245–0.588), with a disproportionately large decrease in the 0–6 years age group (RR 0.303, 95% CI 0.174–0.526) compared with the 7–18 years age group (RR 0.534, 95% CI 0.393–0.719). Decrease in RTI-related A&E attendances was also more drastic in the 0–6 age group. The two time trends are congruent in the 0–6 years but not the 7–18 years age group. Such a trend is suggestive of the usefulness of infection control measures in seizure prevention, especially amongst young children.
Citation
Chiu, T. G. A., Leung, W. C. Y., Zhang, Q., Lau, E. H. Y., Ho, R. W.-. hang ., Chan, H.-S. S., & Chang, R. S.-. kwan . (2021, August). Changes in pediatric seizure-related emergency department attendances during COVID-19 – A territory-wide observational study. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association. Elsevier BV. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2020.11.006
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Date:
2021-08-01
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