Impact of Pandemic of Presentation to Emergency Department and Admissions

Observational study assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on presentations and admission to hospital in children and young adults.

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Key information

Conditions

Emergencies Disease Attributes Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

0 year–24 hour

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

About this study

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on healthcare utilisation and delivery for children and young adults. This is despite these groups experiencing minimal morbidity and almost no mortality as a direct result of the pandemic. The immediate impact of the first lockdown in April 2020 has been well documented. A number of studies show a marked reduction in presentations of children and young adults to the emergency department.

The question is now, are these trends continuing and are they particularly impacting on specific groups and on specific presentations? With these data, services can be modified to minimise any potential for deleterious effects. It may also be possible to target groups who are not utilising health services as the investigators would expect.

The investigators will use fully anonymised routine data on presentations and admission of 0 to 24 years olds to University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Data will be graphed to show trends in activity before and after the start of the pandemic. An interrupted time series regression analysis will be used to assess the significance of any changes in trends.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Children and young adults aged 0 to 24 years
Presented +/- admitted to the emergency department at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust between the 1st of April 2016 and 31st of March 2021

Exclusion criteria

None

Treatment and study plan

COVID-19 pandemic

Other

Study focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency attendances and admissions.

Primary outcomes

Attendance in emergency department or paediatric assessment unit

Time frame: 5 years from April 2016

Attendance at the emergency department in Southampton defined as being booked onto the emergency department admission system.

Secondary outcomes

Emergency admission to hospital

Time frame: 5 years from April 2016

Admission to University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust defined as being in hospital for more than four hours. Participants will be divided into the same subgroups as per attendances.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Southampton

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Attendances and Admissions in Southampton for Children and Young Adults

Important dates

Study start: 2016
Primary completion: 2021
Study completion: 2021
First posted: May 19, 2021
Registry last updated: May 24, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed