Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions

Ahmed Mustafa Alhamrani; Hussain Adil AlGhadeer; Alla Mohammed AlBisher; Raghad Yousof Alturaifi; Jalal Khaled AlDandan; Hassan Taleb Al Ameer; Abdulhamid Sami Aldawaa; Zeyad Hassan Alsolaibi; Ahmed Nabil Al-Jaafari; Mohammed Ahmed Alhawal

doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

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Original Article
Online Published: 29 Dec 2023

IJMDC. 2024; 8(2): 601-606

doi: 10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions

Ahmed Mustafa Alhamrani, Hussain Adil Alghadeer, Alla Mohammed Albisher, Raghad Yousof Alturaifi, Jalal Khaled Aldandan, Hassan Taleb Al Ameer, Abdulhamid Sami Aldawaa, Zeyad Hassan Alsolaibi, Ahmed Nabil Al-jaafari, Mohammed Ahmed Alhawal.

Abstract
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate how the pandemic and social constraints have affected the number of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations at the current study institution.
Methods:
In the pediatric emergency department of the Maternity and Children Hospital in AlAhsa, Saudi Arabia, a retrospective, single-centered, observational comparison study was carried out between January and February 2020, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and between January and February 2021, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Comparisons were made between dispositions, diagnoses, visit information, and demographics.
Results:
Compared to the same period in 2016, the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a significant decline in ED referrals (from 16,047 to 12,608) and a decrease in hospital admission rates (from 458 to 371). During the pandemic, there was a notable drop in ED visits for respiratory symptoms, despite the fact that fever and/or respiratory symptoms were the most frequently reported symptoms both times. Among the possible causes were a decreased risk of infection spread overall as a result of isolation and self-protective measures, avoiding needless hospital stays in the absence of severe symptoms, and parental anxiety about their children being exposed to COVID-19.
Conclusion:
During the COVID-19 epidemic, there were major changes in patterns of care seeking. Reduced ED visits should spur attempts to understand these occurrences, encourage appropriate care seeking, and monitor for morbidity and mortality that might arise from delayed or deferred therapy.

Key words: Emergency visit, COVID-19, pediatric, AlAhsa, Saudi Arabia.

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Pubmed Style

Alhamrani AM, Alghadeer HA, Albisher AM, Alturaifi RY, Aldandan JK, Ameer HTA, Aldawaa AS, Alsolaibi ZH, Al-jaafari AN, Alhawal MA. Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. IJMDC. 2024; 8(2): 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

Web Style

Alhamrani AM, Alghadeer HA, Albisher AM, Alturaifi RY, Aldandan JK, Ameer HTA, Aldawaa AS, Alsolaibi ZH, Al-jaafari AN, Alhawal MA. Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=180143 [Access: October 14, 2025]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Alhamrani AM, Alghadeer HA, Albisher AM, Alturaifi RY, Aldandan JK, Ameer HTA, Aldawaa AS, Alsolaibi ZH, Al-jaafari AN, Alhawal MA. Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. IJMDC. 2024; 8(2): 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Alhamrani AM, Alghadeer HA, Albisher AM, Alturaifi RY, Aldandan JK, Ameer HTA, Aldawaa AS, Alsolaibi ZH, Al-jaafari AN, Alhawal MA. Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. IJMDC. (2024), [cited October 14, 2025]; 8(2): 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

Harvard Style

Alhamrani, A. M., Alghadeer, . H. A., Albisher, . A. M., Alturaifi, . R. Y., Aldandan, . J. K., Ameer, . H. T. A., Aldawaa, . A. S., Alsolaibi, . Z. H., Al-jaafari, . A. N. & Alhawal, . M. A. (2024) Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. IJMDC, 8 (2), 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

Turabian Style

Alhamrani, Ahmed Mustafa, Hussain Adil Alghadeer, Alla Mohammed Albisher, Raghad Yousof Alturaifi, Jalal Khaled Aldandan, Hassan Taleb Al Ameer, Abdulhamid Sami Aldawaa, Zeyad Hassan Alsolaibi, Ahmed Nabil Al-jaafari, and Mohammed Ahmed Alhawal. 2024. Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 8 (2), 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

Chicago Style

Alhamrani, Ahmed Mustafa, Hussain Adil Alghadeer, Alla Mohammed Albisher, Raghad Yousof Alturaifi, Jalal Khaled Aldandan, Hassan Taleb Al Ameer, Abdulhamid Sami Aldawaa, Zeyad Hassan Alsolaibi, Ahmed Nabil Al-jaafari, and Mohammed Ahmed Alhawal. "Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 8 (2024), 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Alhamrani, Ahmed Mustafa, Hussain Adil Alghadeer, Alla Mohammed Albisher, Raghad Yousof Alturaifi, Jalal Khaled Aldandan, Hassan Taleb Al Ameer, Abdulhamid Sami Aldawaa, Zeyad Hassan Alsolaibi, Ahmed Nabil Al-jaafari, and Mohammed Ahmed Alhawal. "Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 8.2 (2024), 601-606. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Alhamrani, A. M., Alghadeer, . H. A., Albisher, . A. M., Alturaifi, . R. Y., Aldandan, . J. K., Ameer, . H. T. A., Aldawaa, . A. S., Alsolaibi, . Z. H., Al-jaafari, . A. N. & Alhawal, . M. A. (2024) Effect of COVID-19 on the dynamics of pediatric emergency department visits and admissions. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 8 (2), 601-606. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1701846794

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