tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Hosp Pediatr
. 2022 Mar 8;e2021006334.
doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-006334. Online ahead of print.
Impact of COVID-19 on Admissions and Outcomes for Children With Complex Chronic Conditions
Jessica L Markham[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Troy Richardson[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Ronald J Teufel[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Adam L Hersh[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Adrienne DePorre[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Eric W Fleegler[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Ryan M Antiel[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Daniel C Williams[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Arda Hotz[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Jayme L Wilder[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Samir S Shah[SUP] 10 11 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Although pediatric health care use declined during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the impact on children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) has not been well reported.
Objective: To describe the impact of the pandemic on inpatient use and outcomes for children with CCCs.
Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study used data from the Pediatric Health Information System. We examined trends in admissions between January 2020 through March 2021, comparing them to the same timeframe in the previous 3 years (pre-COVID-19). We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the association of the COVID-19 period and outcomes for children with CCCs presenting between March 16, 2020 to March 15, 2021 (COVID-19 period) to the same timeframe in the previous 3 years (pre-COVID-19).
Results: Children with CCCs experienced a 19.5% overall decline in admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Declines began in the second week of March of 2020, reaching a nadir in early April 2020. Changes in admissions varied over time and by admission indication. Children with CCCs hospitalized for pneumonia and bronchiolitis experienced overall declines in admissions of 49.7% to 57.7%, whereas children with CCCs hospitalized for diabetes experienced overall increases in admissions of 21.2%. Total and index length of stay, costs, and ICU use, although statistically higher during the COVID-19 period, were similar overall to the pre-COVID-19 period.
Conclusions: Total admissions for children with CCCs declined nearly 20% during the pandemic. Among prevalent conditions, the greatest declines were observed for children with CCCs hospitalized with respiratory illnesses. Despite declines in admissions, overall hospital-level outcomes remained similar.
. 2022 Mar 8;e2021006334.
doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-006334. Online ahead of print.
Impact of COVID-19 on Admissions and Outcomes for Children With Complex Chronic Conditions
Jessica L Markham[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Troy Richardson[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Ronald J Teufel[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Adam L Hersh[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Adrienne DePorre[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Eric W Fleegler[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Ryan M Antiel[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Daniel C Williams[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Arda Hotz[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Jayme L Wilder[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Samir S Shah[SUP] 10 11 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35257170
- DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-006334
Abstract
Background: Although pediatric health care use declined during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the impact on children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) has not been well reported.
Objective: To describe the impact of the pandemic on inpatient use and outcomes for children with CCCs.
Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study used data from the Pediatric Health Information System. We examined trends in admissions between January 2020 through March 2021, comparing them to the same timeframe in the previous 3 years (pre-COVID-19). We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the association of the COVID-19 period and outcomes for children with CCCs presenting between March 16, 2020 to March 15, 2021 (COVID-19 period) to the same timeframe in the previous 3 years (pre-COVID-19).
Results: Children with CCCs experienced a 19.5% overall decline in admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Declines began in the second week of March of 2020, reaching a nadir in early April 2020. Changes in admissions varied over time and by admission indication. Children with CCCs hospitalized for pneumonia and bronchiolitis experienced overall declines in admissions of 49.7% to 57.7%, whereas children with CCCs hospitalized for diabetes experienced overall increases in admissions of 21.2%. Total and index length of stay, costs, and ICU use, although statistically higher during the COVID-19 period, were similar overall to the pre-COVID-19 period.
Conclusions: Total admissions for children with CCCs declined nearly 20% during the pandemic. Among prevalent conditions, the greatest declines were observed for children with CCCs hospitalized with respiratory illnesses. Despite declines in admissions, overall hospital-level outcomes remained similar.