Impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) on acute appendicitis in Hong Kong: Retrospective cohort study in a local cluster hospital

• Published in: Surgical practice Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 25 - 31
• Main Authors: Ho, Si‐Lyn, Lau, Jun, Wang, Chun‐Ting, Cheung, Shuk‐Ling, Wong, Ka‐Fai, Leung, Siu‐Kee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd 01.02.2021; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Appendicitis; Cohort analysis; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Pandemics; Hong Kong China
• ISSN: 1744-1625; 1744-1633
• DOI: 10.1111/1744-1633.12476

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) impacted Hong Kong in early January 2020. Quarantine and social distancing measures have been implemented to prevent disease spread. Material and Method Retrospective cohort study was carried out in our cluster to compare the acute appendicitis cases during pandemic period, January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020, with the same period 1 year before. Parameters including time of presentation, complicated appendicitis rate, operative time, post‐operative complication rate, and total length of stay were compared and analysed. Results A total number of 348 patients (160 in the pre‐COVID group versus 188 in the post‐COVID group) were included. There is no significant difference in basic demographics. The time of presentation was significantly longer in March (3.75 days vs 1.56 days, P = .031) and June 2020 (3.02 days vs 1.88 days, P = .026) compared with the pre‐COVID group, which correlate with the spike of local confirmed cases. There was a significantly higher incidence of complicated appendicitis (67% vs 52%, P = .028) and post‐operative complication rate (29% vs 7%, P = .042) in February post‐COVID group compare with the pre‐COVID group. Conclusion During the COVID‐19 pandemic period, more patients with acute appendicitis presented late to the hospital, with an increase in complicated appendicitis rate and post‐operative complication rate.