Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of restrictive policies on theatre procedures, with profound impacts on service delivery and theatre output.OBJECTIVES: To quantify these effects at a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.METHODS: A retrospective review of morbidity and mortality data was conducted. The effects on emergency and elective caseload, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from theatre, theatre cancellations and regional techniques were noted.RESULTS: Theatre caseload decreased by 30% from January to April 2020 (p=0.02), ICU admissions remained constant, and theatre cancellations were proportionally reduced, as were the absolute number of regional techniques.CONCLUSIONS: The resulting theatre case deficit was 1 260 cases. It will take 315 days to clear this deficit if four additional surgeries are performed per day.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Laäs,D J, Farina,Z, Bishop,D G
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: South African Medical Association 2021
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-95742021000200010
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
id oai:scielo:S0256-95742021000200010
record_format ojs
spelling oai:scielo:S0256-957420210002000102021-03-08Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South AfricaLaäs,D JFarina,ZBishop,D GBACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of restrictive policies on theatre procedures, with profound impacts on service delivery and theatre output.OBJECTIVES: To quantify these effects at a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.METHODS: A retrospective review of morbidity and mortality data was conducted. The effects on emergency and elective caseload, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from theatre, theatre cancellations and regional techniques were noted.RESULTS: Theatre caseload decreased by 30% from January to April 2020 (p=0.02), ICU admissions remained constant, and theatre cancellations were proportionally reduced, as were the absolute number of regional techniques.CONCLUSIONS: The resulting theatre case deficit was 1 260 cases. It will take 315 days to clear this deficit if four additional surgeries are performed per day.South African Medical AssociationSAMJ: South African Medical Journal v.111 n.2 20212021-02-01journal articletext/htmlhttp://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-95742021000200010en
institution SCIELO
collection OJS
country Sudáfrica
countrycode ZA
component Revista
access En linea
databasecode rev-scielo-za
tag revista
region África del Sur
libraryname SciELO
language English
format Digital
author Laäs,D J
Farina,Z
Bishop,D G
spellingShingle Laäs,D J
Farina,Z
Bishop,D G
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
author_facet Laäs,D J
Farina,Z
Bishop,D G
author_sort Laäs,D J
title Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
title_short Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
title_full Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
title_fullStr Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Effect of COVID-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
title_sort effect of covid-19 pandemic decisions on tertiary-level surgical services in pietermaritzburg, kwazulu-natal province, south africa
description BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of restrictive policies on theatre procedures, with profound impacts on service delivery and theatre output.OBJECTIVES: To quantify these effects at a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.METHODS: A retrospective review of morbidity and mortality data was conducted. The effects on emergency and elective caseload, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from theatre, theatre cancellations and regional techniques were noted.RESULTS: Theatre caseload decreased by 30% from January to April 2020 (p=0.02), ICU admissions remained constant, and theatre cancellations were proportionally reduced, as were the absolute number of regional techniques.CONCLUSIONS: The resulting theatre case deficit was 1 260 cases. It will take 315 days to clear this deficit if four additional surgeries are performed per day.
publisher South African Medical Association
publishDate 2021
url http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-95742021000200010
work_keys_str_mv AT laasdj effectofcovid19pandemicdecisionsontertiarylevelsurgicalservicesinpietermaritzburgkwazulunatalprovincesouthafrica
AT farinaz effectofcovid19pandemicdecisionsontertiarylevelsurgicalservicesinpietermaritzburgkwazulunatalprovincesouthafrica
AT bishopdg effectofcovid19pandemicdecisionsontertiarylevelsurgicalservicesinpietermaritzburgkwazulunatalprovincesouthafrica
_version_ 1756005967701475328

Similar Items