ORIGINAL PAPER
The activities of a rural hospital located in south-eastern Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic
1
Department of Public Health, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
2
Department of Administration, Holy Spirit Specialist Hospital, Sandomierz, Poland
3
Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland
4
Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit in Sandomierz, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland
5
Department of Mechatronics in Sandomierz, Jan Kochanowski University, in Kielce, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2024-06-08
Final revision date: 2024-07-04
Acceptance date: 2024-10-02
Publication date: 2024-11-08
Corresponding author
Piotr K. Sobolewski
Piotr K. Sobolewski Collegium Medicum Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit in Sandomierz Jan Kochanowski University Kielce, Poland
Piotr K. Sobolewski Collegium Medicum Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit in Sandomierz Jan Kochanowski University Kielce, Poland
Medical Studies 2024;40(4):309-318
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals had to made enormous efforts to reorganise medical assistance.
Aim of the research:
The assessment of the activities of an entire rural hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and methods:
The number of hospitalisations in the individual departments, length of stay, the numbers of the major surgeries, reperfusion procedures, number of births, and in-hospital deaths in the periods between 1 March 2018 and 31 May 2019 (n = 24,437) and between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2021 (n = 20,686) were compared.
Results:
In the analysed pandemic period there were 798 patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 179 (22.4%) of them died. In the univariate analysis during the pandemic compared to the period before pandemic, the significant decrease in the number of hospitalisations both in operating (p < 0.001) and in conservative departments (p < 0.001) were recorded; however, these numbers varied from department to department, and the average length of hospital stay was statistically significantly shorter (p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that in most departments there was a decrease of the number of hospitalised patients, except for the internal medicine (p < 0.001), neurosurgery (p < 0.001), neonatology (p < 0.001), and urology (p < 0.001) departments. The shorter hospital stay was also found in almost all departments, unlike the cardiology (p < 0.001) and daytime rehabilitation (p < 0.001) departments. Higher numbers of deaths in the cardiology (p < 0.001) and palliative care (p < 0.001) departments were reported.
Conclusions:
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a reduction in the number of patients in hospital and shorter stays in most hospital departments.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals had to made enormous efforts to reorganise medical assistance.
Aim of the research:
The assessment of the activities of an entire rural hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and methods:
The number of hospitalisations in the individual departments, length of stay, the numbers of the major surgeries, reperfusion procedures, number of births, and in-hospital deaths in the periods between 1 March 2018 and 31 May 2019 (n = 24,437) and between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2021 (n = 20,686) were compared.
Results:
In the analysed pandemic period there were 798 patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 179 (22.4%) of them died. In the univariate analysis during the pandemic compared to the period before pandemic, the significant decrease in the number of hospitalisations both in operating (p < 0.001) and in conservative departments (p < 0.001) were recorded; however, these numbers varied from department to department, and the average length of hospital stay was statistically significantly shorter (p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that in most departments there was a decrease of the number of hospitalised patients, except for the internal medicine (p < 0.001), neurosurgery (p < 0.001), neonatology (p < 0.001), and urology (p < 0.001) departments. The shorter hospital stay was also found in almost all departments, unlike the cardiology (p < 0.001) and daytime rehabilitation (p < 0.001) departments. Higher numbers of deaths in the cardiology (p < 0.001) and palliative care (p < 0.001) departments were reported.
Conclusions:
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a reduction in the number of patients in hospital and shorter stays in most hospital departments.
REFERENCES (40)
1.
Jiménez-García S, de Juan Pérez A, Pérez-Cañaveras RM, Vizcaya-Moreno F. Working environment, personal protective equipment, personal life changes, and well-being perceived in Spanish nurses during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(8): 4856.
2.
Haffer H, Schömig F, Rickert M, Randau T, Raschke M, Wirtz D, Pumberger M, Perka C. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic and trauma surgery in university hospitals in Germany: results of a nationwide survey. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020; 102(14): e78.
3.
Santos JLGD, Menegon FHA, Andrade GB, Freitas EO, Camponogara S, Balsanelli AP, Erdmann AL. Changes implemented in the work environment of nurses in the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Bras Enferm. 2021; 75 (Suppl 1): e20201381.
4.
Catania G, Zanini M, Hayter M, Timmins F, Dasso N, Ottonello G, Aleo G, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. Lessons from Italian front-line nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative descriptive study. J Nurs Manag. 2021; 29(3): 404-411. .
5.
Mattila E, Peltokoski J, Neva MH, Kaunonen M, Hel- minen M, Parkkila AK. COVID-19: anxiety among hospital staff and associated factors. Ann Med. 2021; 53(1): 237-246.
6.
Bodilsen J, Nielsen PB, Søgaard M, Dalager-Pedersen M, Speiser LOZ, Yndigegn T, Nielsen H, Larsen TB, Skjøth F. Hospital admission and mortality rates for non-covid diseases in Denmark during COVID-19 pandemic: nationwide population based cohort study. BMJ. 2021; 373: n1135.
7.
Härter M, Bremer D, Scherer M, von dem Knesebeck O, Koch-Gromus U. Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie auf die klinische Versorgung, Arbeitsprozesse und Mitarbeitenden in der Universitätsmedizin: Ergebnisse einer Interviewstudie am UKE [Impact of COVID-19-pandemic on Clinical Care, Work Flows and Staff at a University Hospital: Results of an Interview-study at the UKE]. Gesundheitswesen. 2020; 82(8-09): 676-681.
8.
Ayyaz M, Butt UI, Umar M, Khan WH, Kashif MR, Hyi- dar Z. Effect of COVID-19 on the Working of a Tertiary Care Hospital. J Coll Phys Surg Pak. 2020; 30(10): 164-167.
9.
Villani L, Pastorino R, Ricciardi W, Ioannidis J, Boccia S. Inverse correlates of COVID-19 mortality across European countries during the first versus subsequent waves. BMJ Glob Health. 2021; 6(8): e006422.
10.
Ylli A, Burazeri G, Wu YY, Sentell T. COVID-19 excess deaths in Eastern European countries associated with weaker regulation implementation and lower vaccination coverage. East Mediterr Health J. 2022; 28(10): 776-780.
11.
Ball S, Banerjee A, Berry C, Boyle JR, Bray B, Bradlow W, Crawley R, Danesh J, Denniston A, Falter F, Figueroa JD, Hall C, Hemingway H, Jefferson E, Johnson T, King G, Lee KK, McKean P, Mason S, Mills NL, Pearson E, Pirmohamed M, Poon MTC, Priedon R, Shah A, Sofat R, Sterne JAC, Strachan FE, Sudlow CLM, Szarka Z, White- ley W, Wyatt M; CVD-COVID-UK Consortium. Monitoring indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on services for cardiovascular diseases in the UK. Heart. 2020; 106(24): 1890-1897.
12.
Mazzilli S, Scardina G, Collini F, Forni S, Gianolio G, Bisceglia L, Lopalco PL, Chieti A, Onder G, Vanacore N, Bonaccorsi G, Gemmi F, Tavoschi L. Hospital admission and mortality rates for non-Covid diseases among residents of the long-term care facilities before and during the pandemic: a cohort study in two Italian regions. Z Gesundh Wiss. 2023: 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10389-023-01925-1.
13.
Albuquerque DAR, Melo MDT, Sousa TLF, Normando PG, Fagundes JGM, Araujo-Filho JAB. Hospital admission and mortality rates for non-COVID-19 respiratory diseases in Brazil’s public health system during the covid-19 pandemic: a nationwide observational study. J Bras Pneumol. 2023; 49(1): e20220093. .
14.
Butt AA, Kartha AB, Masoodi NA, Azad AM, Asaad NA, Alhomsi MU, Saleh HAH, Bertollini R, Abou-Samra AB. Hospital admission rates, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality for common acute care conditions in COVID-19 vs. pre-COVID-19 era. Public Health. 2020; 189: 6-11.
15.
McIntosh A, Bachmann M, Siedner MJ, Gareta D, Seeley J, Herbst K. Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on hospital admissions and mortality in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: interrupted time series analysis. BMJ Open. 2021; 11(3): e047961.
16.
Antony J, James WT, Neriamparambil AJ, Barot DD, Withers T. An Australian response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on the practice of neurosurgery. World Neurosurg. 2020; 139: e864-e871.
17.
Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Lee RP, Weingart JD, Theodore N, Cohen AR, Tamargo RJ, Huang J, Brem H, Mukherjee D. Impact of COVID-19 on an Academic Neurosurgery Department: the Johns Hopkins experience. World Neurosurg. 2020; 139: e877-e884.
18.
Munda M, Bosnjak R, Velnar T. Problematics of neurosurgical service during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia. World J Clin Cases. 2022; 10(34): 12462-12469.
19.
Rasyid N, Birowo P, Parikesit D, Rahman F. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urology practice in Indonesia: a nationwide survey. Urol J. 2020; 17(6): 677-679.
20.
Meybodi KT, Habibi Z, Nejat F. The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric neurosurgery practice and training in a developing country. Childs Nerv Syst. 2021; 37(4): 1313-1317.
21.
Yeates EO, Grigorian A, Schellenberg M, Owattanapa- nich N, Barmparas G, Margulies D, Juillard C, Garber K, Cryer H, Tillou A, Burruss S, Penaloza-Villalobos L, Lin A, Figueras RA, Coimbra R, Brenner M, Costantini T, Santorelli J, Curry T, Wintz D, Biffl WL, Schaffer KB, Dun- can TK, Barbaro C, Diaz G, Johnson A, Chinn J, Naaseh A, Leung A, Grabar C, Nahmias J. Decreased hospital length of stay and intensive care unit admissions for non-COVID blunt trauma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am J Surg. 2022; 224(1 Pt A): 90-95.
22.
Seidu S, Kunutsor SK, Cos X, Khunti K. Indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalisations for cardiometabolic conditions and their management: a systematic review. Prim Care Diabetes. 2021; 15(4): 653-681.
23.
Kudsi OY, Kaoukabani G, Friedman A, Bou-Ayash N, Bahadir J, Gokcal F. Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on clinical outcomes of robotic cholecystectomy. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2023; 33(6): 592-595.
24.
Korun O, Yurdakök O, Arslan A, Çiçek M, Selçuk A, Kılıç Y, Altın F, Şaşmazel A, Aydemir NA. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on congenital heart surgery practice: an alarming change in demographics. J Card Surg. 2020; 35(11): 2908-2912.
25.
Seetharam A, Ghosh P, Prado R, Badman BL. Trends in outpatient shoulder arthroplasty during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) era: increased proportion of outpatient cases with decrease in 90-day readmissions. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022; 31(7): 1409-1415.
26.
Park D, Jeong E, Lee SY, Kim M, Hong DY, Kwon HD, Kim MC. Behavioral and disease-related characteristics of patients with acute stroke during the coronavirus disease pandemic. Healthcare (Basel). 2022; 10(4): 604.
27.
Aboueshia M, Hussein MH, Attia AS, Swinford A, Mil- ler P, Omar M, Toraih EA, Saba N, Safah H, Duchesne J, Kandil E. Cancer and COVID-19: analysis of patient outcomes. Future Oncol. 2021; 17(26): 3499-3510.
28.
Arimappamagan A, Vilanilam G, Pandey P. Is elective neurosurgery justified during COVID-19 pandemic? Neurol India. 2021; 69(1): 21-25.
29.
Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Lee RP, Weingart JD, Theodore N, Cohen AR, Tamargo RJ, Huang J, Brem H, Mukherjee D. Impact of COVID-19 on an Academic Neurosurgery Department: the Johns Hopkins experience. World Neurosurg. 2020; 139: e877-e884.
30.
Munda M, Velnar T, Bosnjak R, Zele T, Gradisnik L, Spazzapan P, Kos N, Kocivnik N, Benedicic M, Prestor B. COVID-19 and surgical practice in slovenia: managing the crisis in neurosurgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Life (Basel). 2023; 13(10): 2095.
31.
Sharma R, Garg K, Katiyar V, Alam I, Tandon V, Raheja A, Mishra S, Veerabhadraiah P, Suri A, Chandra PS, Kale SS. Analysis of neurosurgical cases before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic from a Tertiary-Care Centre in India. World Neurosurg. 2021; 152: e635-e644.
32.
Airth A, Whittle JR, Dimou J. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted clinical care and research in Neuro-Oncology? J Clin Neurosci. 2022; 105: 91-102.
33.
Porreca A, Colicchia M, D’Agostino D, Amenta M, Corsaro A, Zaramella S, Zegna L, Gallo F, Schenone M, Bozzi- ni G, Calori A, Pastore AL, Al Salhi Y, Sciorio C, Spirito L, Varca V, Marenghi C, Greco F, Altieri VM, Verze P, Bar- ba C, Antonelli A, Cerruto MA, Falabella R, Di Bello S, Leonardo C, Tufano A, Volpe A, Umari P, Parma P, Nidi- ni M, Pini G, Borghesi M, Terrone C, Cacciamani GE, Sighi- nolfi MC, Busetto GM, Wennberg AM, Finocchiaro M, Falsaperla M, Oderda M, Ceruti C, Rocco B, Schiavina R, Bianchi L, Mari A, Di Maida F, Dalpiaz O, Celia A, Piroz- zi M, Bove P, Iacovelli V, Cafarelli A, Cindolo L, Ferrari G, Gatti L, Pirola G, Annino F, Pucci L, Romagnoli D, Artibani W, Minervini A. Urology in the time of coronavirus: reduced access to urgent and emergent urological care during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in Italy. Urol Int. 2020; 104(7-8): 631-636.
34.
Autrán-Gómez AM, Tobia I, Molina RC, Covarrubias FR, Benzing F, Maruccia S, Reis LO, Lay RR, De la Reza MT, Torres FS, Porras AH, Rodríguez A. Exploring urological experience in the COVID-19 outbreak: American Confederation of Urology (CAU) Survey. Int Braz J Urol. 2020; 46 (Suppl. 1): 156-164.
35.
Omar T, Karakayalı M, Perincek G. Assessment of COVID-19 deaths from cardiological perspective. Acta Cardiol. 2022; 77(3): 231-238.
36.
Albani S, Vinhas H, Fuertes Ferre G, Basavarajaiah S, Khattak S, Tzanis G, Pizzato M, Toselli M, Khokhar AA, Musumeci G, Giannini F. Epidemiological findings on interventional cardiology procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-center study. Indian Heart J. 2021; 73(5): 647-649.
37.
Cannata A, Watson SA, Daniel A, Giacca M, Shah AM, McDonagh TA, Scott PA, Bromage DI. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-hospital mortality in cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2022; 29(8): 1266-1274.
38.
Moriyama D, Scherer JS, Sullivan R, Lowy J, Berger JT. The impact of COVID-19 surge on clinical palliative care: a descriptive study from a New York Hospital System. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021; 61(3): e1-e5.
39.
Linehan A, Fitzpatrick O, Cowzer D, Hennessy MA, Coyne ZL, Nolan A, Clarke M, Dhonaill RN, Hennessy BT, Morris PG, Grogan L, Breathnach O. COVID-19-related mortality in cancer patients in an Irish setting. Ir J Med Sci. 2022; 191(5): 2013-2018.
40.
Lei H, Yang Y, Zhou W, Zhang M, Shen Y, Tao D, Wang L, Lei Q, Wang Y, Wu Y. Higher mortality in lung cancer patients with COVID-19? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lung Cancer. 2021; 157: 60-65.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2300-6722 |
| ISSN: | 1899-1874 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
