Table 2.
Comparison of clinical diagnosis and management strategy for patients admitted to general surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, by study period.
| Clinical Diagnosis | Pre-Lockdown (n = 207) | Post-Lockdown (n = 106) | Overall (n = 313) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appendicitis | 14 (6.8) | 12 (11.3) | 26 (8.3) | 0.167 |
| Biliary Pathology | 32 (15.5) | 22 (20.8) | 54 (17.3) | 0.241 |
| Diverticular Disease | 9 (4.3) | 4 (3.8) | 13 (4.2) | 0.810 |
| Gastrointestinal Bleeding | 6 (2.9) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (1.9) | 0.100 |
| Gastrointestinal Cancer | 7 (3.4) | 9 (8.5) | 16 (5.1) | 0.048 |
| Gastrointestinal Perforation | 11 (5.3) | 12 (11.3) | 23 (7.3) | 0.033 |
| Hernia | 10 (4.8) | 2 (1.9) | 12 (3.8) | 0.350 |
| Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Colitis | 6 (2.9) | 6 (5.7) | 12 (3.8) | 0.231 |
| Ischaemic Bowel | 5 (2.4) | 4 (3.8) | 9 (2.9) | 0.496 |
| Non-Specific Abdominal Pain | 31 (15.0) | 8 (7.5) | 39 (12.5) | 0.041 |
| Non-Surgical Diagnosis | 20 (9.7) | 7 (6.6) | 27 (8.6) | 0.362 |
| Obstruction | 12 (5.8) | 18 (17.0) | 30 (9.6) | 0.001 |
| Other Relevant Surgical Pathology | 13 (6.3) | 4 (3.8) | 17 (5.4) | 0.354 |
| Pancreatitis | 13 (6.3) | 12 (11.3) | 25 (8.0) | 0.120 |
| Peptic Ulcer Disease | 17 (8.2) | 3 (2.8) | 20 (6.4) | 0.065 |
| Superficial Infection/Abscess | 25 (12.1) | 4 (3.8) | 29 (9.3) | 0.016 |
| Trauma | 4 (1.9) | 2 (1.9) | 6 (1.9) | 0.978 |
| Patient Management | ||||
| Imaging | 153 (73.9) | 93 (87.7) | 246 (78.6) | 0.005 |
| CT Scan | 89 (43.0) | 67 (63.2) | 156 (49.8) | 0.001 |
| Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy | 76 (36.7) | 68 (64.2) | 144 (46.0) | <0.001 |
| Duration of Intravenous Antibiotics (Days)**† | 3.0 (1.0–5.0) | 3.0 (2.7–5.0) | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) | 0.136 |
| Non-Interventional Management | 135 (65.2) | 66 (62.3) | 201 (64.2) | 0.723 |
| Endoscopic Intervention | 9 (4.3) | 4 (3.8) | 13 (4.2) | 0.810 |
| Radiological Intervention | 2 (1.0) | 6 (5.7) | 8 (2.6) | 0.020 |
| Operative Intervention | 67 (32.4) | 36 (34.0) | 103 (32.9) | 0.776 |
| Time to Intervention (Days)*‡ | 1.89 (1.22,2.57) | 1.73 (1.21,2.24) | 1.83 (1.37,2.30) | 0.693 |
| Operative Severity | 0.041 | |||
| Minor | 17 (25.4) | 4 (11.1) | 21 (20.4) | |
| Moderate | 35 (52.2) | 16 (44.4) | 51 (49.5) | |
| Major/Complex Major | 15 (22.4) | 16 (44.4) | 31 (30.1) | |
| Approach for Intra-peritoneal Operations | 0.023 | |||
| Laparoscopic | 25 (64.1) | 12 (40.0) | 37 (53.6) | |
| Open | 14 (35.9) | 18 (60.0) | 32 (46.4) |
*values displayed are mean (95% c.i.) or **median (interquartile range). Percentages and proportions were derived by excluding missing data from the variable. χ2 test for difference, except ‡t-test or †Mann-Whitney U test. CT, computed tomography.