Table 2.
Comparison of patients with complicated appendicitis for 2019 pre-COVID cohort vs. 2020 COVID cohort
| Characteristic | 2019 control cohort (n = 245) | 2020 COVID-19 cohort (n = 283) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR), years | 49 (33–65) | 50 (32–64) | 0.946 |
| ASA > 1, no./total no. (%) | 126/225 (56.0) | 131/239 (54.8) | 0.797 |
| Duration of symptoms > 24 h, no./total no. (%) | 164/241 (68.0) | 214/281 (76.2) | 0.039 |
| Types of complicated appendicitis, no./total no. (%) | |||
| Gangrenous | 45/245 (18.4) | 50/283 (17.7) | 0.835 |
| Perforation | 157/245 (64.1) | 179/283 (63.3) | 0.843 |
| Abscess or infiltrate | 43/245 (17.6) | 54/283 (19.1) | 0.651 |
| Conservative treatment, no./total no. (%) | 31/245 (12.7) | 41/283 (14.5) | 0.540 |
| In-hospital delay in operated patients, median (IQR), hours | 7.8 (5.0–13.3) | 6.7 (4.6–12.1) | 0.152 |
| Postoperative complicationa, no./total no. (%) | 40/214 (18.7) | 45/242 (18.6) | 0.979 |
| Severe postoperative complicationa b, no./total no. (%) | 11/245 (5.1) | 13/281 (5.4) | 0.904 |
Abbreviations: ASA American Society of Anesthesiologists, IQR interquartile range
aPatients for whom surgery was the initial treatment
bSevere complications are defined as Clavien-Dindo IIIa or higher