To Everything There Is a Season.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound global impact, not least on hospital functioning Institutions have all had to prepare and adapt to a large number of admissions, and the influence on elective and emergency surgical services, including burn care, has been significant;it may be some time before we know the full extent of this While many centers were able to commence more normal activities for a while, we are now seeing an exponential rise in cases again, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the provision of burn care Methods A review of all admissions, operative cases and clinic visits between 1 April and 31 August 2020 was undertaken at an American Burn Association verified burn center These data were compared with the same five-month period in the preceding two years Results Selected data highlights are tabulated (Table 1) During the five months in question, fewer patients were admitted than the previous two years (N=81 versus 121) The mean total body surface area was slightly higher this year (13 7%), and the mean length of hospital stay longer (18 days) The male-to-female ratio of admitted patients was greater during the five months of 2020, at 2 9:1, compared to 1 7:1 No significant differences in terms of etiology were detected, however As expected, clinic visits reduced dramatically from a mean of 160 patient visits per month to just 81 per month, with the majority conducted virtually During 2020 the operative cases were similar in number to previous years (N=176), but the mean duration was significantly longer (190 minutes) The total time utilised for burn surgery was similar to previous years (572 hours) Table 1 Selected burn center data comparing 2020 with 2019 and 2018 Conclusions This study demonstrates that although total admissions were slightly reduced, the demands on Burn ICU bed resources and burn operating time were similar The data supports the notion that removing scheduled operating time for our service resulted in less efficient execution of acute burn surgeries and longer hospital stays Although formal clinic visits were significantly reduced and were mainly conducted virtually, several patients were satisfied by a novel and user-friendly email service conducted by our clinic nurse specialist

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625 The Impact of COVID-19 on Burn Care at a Regional Burn Center

Patient attendance at emergency departments (EDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has decreased dramatically under the “stay at home” and “lockdown” restrictions. By contrast, a notable rise in severity of various surgical conditions was observed, suggesting that the restrictions coupled with fear from medical facilities might negatively impact non-COVID-19 diseases. This study aims to assess the incidence and outcome of complicated appendicitis (CA) cases during that period. A retrospective study comparing the rate and severity of acute appendicitis (AA) cases during the COVID-19 initial outbreak in Israel during March and April of 2020 (P20) to the corresponding period in 2019 (P19) was conducted. Patient data included demographics, pre-ED status, surgical data, and postoperative outcomes. Overall, 123 patients were diagnosed with acute appendicitis, 60 patients during P20 were compared to 63 patients in P19. The rate of complicated appendicitis cases was significantly higher during the COVID-19 Lockdown with 43.3% (26 patients) vs. 20.6% (13 patients), respectively (p < 0.01). The average delay in ED presentation between P20 and P19 was 3.4 vs. 2 days (p = 0.03). The length of stay was 2.6 days in P20 vs. 2.3 days in P19 (p = 0.4), and the readmission rate was 12% (7 patients) vs. 4.8% (3 patients), p = 0.17, respectively. Logistic regression demonstrated that a delay in ED presentation was a significant risk factor for complicated appendicitis (OR 1.139, CI 1.011–1.284). The effect of the COVID-19 initial outbreak and Lockdown coupled with hesitation to come to medical facilities appears to have discouraged patients with acute appendicitis from presenting to the ED as complaints began, causing a delay in diagnosis and treatment, which might have led to a higher rate of complicated appendicitis cases and a heavier burden on health care systems.

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The impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on the incidence and outcome of complicated appendicitis.

Characteristics of burn injury during COVID-19 pandemic in Tokyo: A descriptive study.

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on admission patterns and outcomes at a burn center is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the epidemiology of burn admissions at a major metropolitan burn center. This retrospective cohort study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected burn volumes and time to presentation. All burn admissions were included from January 20 to August 31 for the years 2020, 2019, and 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic group included admissions from January 20, 2020 to August 31, 2020 and was compared to the nonpandemic group comprised of admissions from January 20 to August 31 in 2018 and 2019. Subgroup analysis was performed according to meaningful dates during the COVID-19 pandemic including the first U.S. COVID-19 case, shelter-in-place, and state reopening orders. Admission volumes were 403 patients in the COVID-19 pandemic group compared to a mean of 429 patients in the nonpandemic group, which correlated to a 5.8% decrease in volume during the pandemic. The pandemic group showed an increase in time to presentation of 1 day (P < .0001). Subgroup analysis demonstrated stable admission volumes and an increase in time to presentation of 1 day (P < .0001) at each time point. During shelter-in-place orders, there were higher rates of second/third-degree burns and operative burns (94.7 vs 56.3% and 45.6 vs 27%, P < .0001, P = .013). During the pandemic, there were stable admission volumes, delayed time to admission, and an increase in operative burns during shelter-in-place orders. This reinforces the need to maintain appropriate burn center staffing and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burn Admissions at a Major Metropolitan Burn Center.

Coronavirus disease 2019 obliged many countries to apply lockdown policies to contain the spread of infection. The restrictions in Israel included limitations on movement, reduction of working capacity, and closure of the educational system. The present study focused on patients treated at a referral center for burns in northern Israel. Their goal was to investigate temporal variations in burn injuries during this period. Data were retrospectively extracted from the medical records of burn patients treated at our hospital between March 14, 2020 and April 20, 2020 (ie, the period of aggravated lockdown). Data from this period were compared with that from paralleling periods between 2017 and 2019. During the lockdown and paralleling periods, 178 patients were treated for burn injuries, of whom 44% were under 18. Although no restrictions were enforced during the virus outbreak period with regard to seeking medical care, we noticed a decrease in the number of patients admitted to the emergency room for all reasons. Of particular interest was a 66% decrease in the number of adult burn patients (P < .0001). Meanwhile, among the pediatric population, no significant decrease was observed. Nonetheless, subgroups with higher susceptibility to burn injuries included children aged 2 to 5 years (56.3% vs 23.8%, P = .016) and female patients from all pediatric age groups (57.1% vs 25%, P = .027). These findings may be explained by the presumably busier kitchen and dining areas during the lockdown. Overall, the study results can assist with building a stronger understanding of varying burn injuries and with developing educational and preventive strategies.

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Trends in Burn Injuries in Northern Israel during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced many countries into lockdowns to limit the spread of infection. Israel’s containment measures included school closures, mobility restrictions, and workforce reductions. Our study evaluated the effect of COVID-19 on the occurrence and patterns of burn injuries. The study data was obtained via retrospective chart review of burn patients treated between March 15, 2020 and April 30, 2020, namely the period of strict national lockdown. This data was compared against data from paralleling periods between 2017 and 2019. A total of 686 patients were treated for burn injuries in the two study periods. Age group analysis revealed an increased ratio of pediatric patients aged 0–3 years during the lockdown (55.91% vs 40.79%, P = .002). In contrast, there were fewer patients presenting with burn injuries in the 7–16 and 17–29 age groups (9.66% vs 3.15%, P = .017; 16.46% vs 7.09%, P = .007, respectively). During both study periods, scald injuries were the most common burn etiology and burn injuries occurred most often at home. This predominance was further pronounced during the lockdown (71.65% vs 58.68%, P = .007; 90.55% vs 74.60%, P = .0001, respectively). The lockdown period underlined the danger faced by pediatric patients in their household environment. This danger was possibly compounded by an improper level of adult supervision as parents transitioned to remote work. These findings can educate us about factors that render burn injuries more likely not only during lockdowns, but also during regular times, thus shaping the development of burn prevention practices.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9214151

Burns During Coronavirus Disease 19 Lockdown: a Multi-Center Retrospective Study in Israel

IgA vasculitis (IgAV) has been extensively studied in children, while its natural history remains poorly studied in adults. Sparse data comparing childhood and adult-onset disease has shown significant differences in their clinical presentation, especially in the severity of renal involvement, which accounts for the major long-term morbidity. IgAV shares similar renal histologic features with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), while clinically IgAN is a chronic kidney disease which may lead to end stage renal disease and dialysis. The extent of kidney injury among adults with IgAV is still a matter of uncertainty.We aimed to evaluate clinical manifestations, laboratory data, treatment patterns and long-term outcomes of pediatric and adult-onset IgAV in comparison to IgAN.This retrospective collaborative study examined medical records of adults and children with IgAV and IgAN adult patients admitted to rheumatology clinic and in hospital pediatric departments in a 13-year period (2007-2019). Diagnosis of adults with IgAV relied on the Ankara criteria and was confirmed by a consistent skin biopsy with positive IgA staining by immunofluorescence. Children with IgAV were included in our study on a clinical basis. All IgAN patients had a kidney biopsy proven disease. We analyzed and compared frequencies of clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, treatment regimens and long-term outcomes at one year follow-up. Finally, we assessed long term outcomes, such as time to dialysis and all-cause mortality, till the end of the follow-up time.A total of 60 adult IgAV, 60 pediatric IgAV and 45 IgAN patients were included in our study. There were significantly more males in the IgAN group compared to the adult and pediatric IgAV groups (77.8%, 41.7% and 55% respectively, p=0.01). Adult IgAV patients were significantly older than IgAN patients (53.1±17.4 years vs. 45.1±15.7 years, p=0.02) and had significantly higher rates of diabetes (43.3% vs. 24.4%, p=0.05) and ischemic heart disease (18.3% vs. 4.4%, p=0.03). The pediatric IgAV group had a statistically higher rate of previous infection compared to the adult IgAV group (44.8% vs. 20%, p=0.02). At one year follow-up, IgAN patients had higher levels of serum creatinine compared to the adult IgAV group (2.002 vs. 1.100, p<0.01). Data observed until the end of the follow-up time showed no difference in time to dialysis (IgAV adults: 9.8-12.4 years, IgAN: 5.0-6.6 years, p>.41). Nevertheless, IgAV adult patients had significantly shorter survival time (5.5 years, 95% CI: 4.8-6.2 years) than IgAN patients (7.0 years, 95% CI: 6.6-7.5 years, p<.01).This retrospective study demonstrates that IgAV in adults presents substantial clinical manifestations, including high risk of progression to persistent renal impairment and possesses higher mortality rate in comparison with pediatric-onset disease and IgAN.[1]Blanco R, Martínez-Taboada VM, Rodríguez-Valverde V, García-Fuentes M, González-Gay MA. Henoch-Schönlein purpura in adulthood and childhood: two different expressions of the same syndrome. Arthritis Rheum. 1997 May;40(5):859-64. doi: 10.1002/art.1780400513. PMID: 9153547.[2]Nossent J, Raymond W, Isobel Keen H, Preen D, Inderjeeth C. Morbidity and mortality in adult-onset IgA vasculitis: a long-term population-based cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Dec 24;61(1):291-298. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab312. PMID: 33779729.Figure 1.None declared

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Shir Levanon

Papers

Trends in Burn Injuries in Northern Israel during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Burns During Coronavirus Disease 19 Lockdown: a Multi-Center Retrospective Study in Israel

POS0831 IgA VASCULITIS IN ADULTS, PEDIATRICS AND NON-VASCULITIC IgA NEPHROPATHY