Table 1.
Characteristics of patients referred to the Quick Diagnosis Unit during the COVID-impacted period and the same period in 2019.
| 2019: 26 February–30 April | COVID-Impacted Period (2020: 26 February–28 April) |
p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referrals | |||
| Total, n | 201 | 126 | |
| Age, years, mean ± SD | 68.22 ± 14.91 | 66.35 ± 13.73 | 0.1134 |
| <65 | 70 (34.83) | 47 (37.30) | |
| ≥65 | 131 (65.17) | 79 (62.70) | |
| Sex, n (%) | 0.1324 | ||
| Male | 108 (53.73) | 65 (51.59) | |
| Female | 93 (46.27) | 61 (48.41) | |
| Household income per capita, €, n (%) 1 | 0.1380 | ||
| <18,000 | 105 (52.24) | 63 (50.00) | |
| 18,000–100,000 | 82 (40.80) | 54 (42.86) | |
| >100,000 | 14 (6.97) | 9 (7.14) | |
| Comorbidity index, n (%) | 0.0556 | ||
| 0–1 | 141 (70.15) | 94 (74.60) | |
| 2 | 44 (21.89) | 27 (21.43) | |
| ≥3 | 16 (7.96) | 5 (3.97) | |
| Smoking status, n (%) | 0.1433 | ||
| Current | 64 (31.84) | 37 (29.37) | |
| Former | 48 (23.88) | 30 (23.81) | |
| None | 89 (44.28) | 59 (46.83) | |
| Alcohol intake, n (%) | 0.0786 | ||
| Excessive | 23 (11.44) | 12 (9.52) | |
| Normal limits | 49 (24.38) | 26 (20.64) | |
| None | 129 (64.18) | 88 (69.84) | |
| Presenting manifestations, n (%) | |||
| Unexplained weight loss/fatigue | 31 (15.42) | 22 (17.46) | |
| Fever of unknown origin/sweats | 13 (6.48) | 10 (7.94) | |
| Nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms and signs | 11 (5.47) | 9 (7.14) | |
| Unexplained progressive pain (non-abdominal) | 9 (4.48) | 5 (3.97) | |
| Abdominal pain | 14 (6.97) | 10 (7.94) | |
| Effusions (ascites, pleural, pericardial) | 9 (4.48) | 4 (3.17) | |
| Jaundice/cholestasis | 10 (4.98) | 8 (6.35) | |
| Anemia | 32 (15.92) | 18 (14.29) | |
| Persistently abnormal laboratory tests | 10 (4.98) | 7 (5.56) | |
| Mass (abdominal/liver, lung/mediastinal, bone, brain) | 14 (6.97) | 10 (7.94) | |
| Lung consolidation/opacity | 6 (2.99) | 3 (2.38) | |
| Abnormal lymphadenopathy/lumps | 16 (7.96) | 8 (6.35) | |
| Overt blood loss (hematuria, hematochezia, hemoptysis, vaginal bleeding) | 17 (8.46) | 9 (7.14) | |
| Dyspnea/persistent cough | 4 (1.99) | 1 (0.79) | |
| Dysphagia | 5 (2.49) | 2 (1.59) | |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | |||
| Benign organic diseases | 137 (68.16) | 84 (66.67) | |
| Cancer | 43 (21.39) | 20 (15.87) | |
| Other | 21 (10.45) | 22 (17.46) | |
| Cancer: nature of presenting symptoms, n (%) | 0.1295 | ||
| Focal | 29 (67.44) | 13 (65.00) | |
| Nonspecific | 14 (32.56) | 7 (35.00) | |
| Cancer: pre-referral consultations, n (%) | 0.0092 | ||
| 1 | 22 (51.16) | 9 (45.00) | |
| 2 | 11 (25.58) | 9 (45.00) | |
| ≥3 | 10 (23.26) | 2 (10.00) | |
| Cancer: performance score, n (%) | 0.0337 | ||
| 0–1 | 20 (46.51) | 11 (55.00) | |
| 2 | 15 (34.88) | 6 (30.00) | |
| 3–4 | 8 (18.60) | 3 (15.00) | |
| Nonmalignant organic diseases, n (%) | |||
| Hematological | 4 (2.92) | 1 (1.19) | |
| Gastrointestinal diseases | 33 (24.09) | 19 (22.62) | |
| Genitourinary | 6 (4.38) | 3 (3.57) | |
| Respiratory | 4 (2.92) | 4 (4.76) | |
| Infections (viral) | 7 (5.11) | 5 (5.95) | |
| Gynecological | 6 (4.38) | 2 (2.38) | |
| Bone | 7 (5.11) | 4 (4.76) | |
| Hepatobiliary/pancreatic diseases | 15 (10.95) | 10 (11.90) | |
| Benign neoplasms/reactive lymphadenitis | 6 (4.38) | 4 (4.76) | |
| Rheumatic/autoimmune/granulomatous diseases | 9 (6.57) | 5 (5.95) | |
| Endocrine diseases | 7 (5.11) | 4 (4.76) | |
| Other | 33 (24.09) | 23 (27.38) |
1 According to the Catalan Health Surveillance System (CHSS) database (Health Department. Government of Catalonia).