The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Activity In A Tertiary Care Center From North-Eastern Romania

Aims The outbreak of the corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to significant changes in endoscopy units worldwide, with potential impact on patients’ welfare as well as on endoscopy training. We aimed to assess the real-life impact of COVID-19 on the endoscopy unit in a tertiary care center from Romania.

Methods We performed a service evaluation using the local endoscopy database. Two time periods were analyzed, namely from the 1^st of March to 15 September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and a similar period between 1^st of March – 15 September 2019.

Results There was a 6.2 fold decrease of the number of endoscopic procedures as a result of COVID-19. The most important reduction was found in colonoscopy, from 916 to 42 procedures, P < 0.001, followed by flexible sigmoidoscopy, from 189 to 14 procedures, P = 0.009, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, from 2269 to 401 procedures, P = 0.006, and ERCP, from 234 to 125 procedures, P < 0.001. The percentage of emergency procedures increased (38.8 % vs 26.2 %, P < 0.001), as well as the rate of endoscopies performed for upper GI bleeding (42.5 % vs 24.4 %, respectively,P < 0.001). The detection of cancers was considerably reduced (57 compared to 249, P = 0.001). Surprisingly the rate of complications was lower and the success of the procedures higher (7.6 % vs 19.2 %, P < 0.001, and 94.2 % vs 90.7 %, respectively). Fellow participation was also reduced from 90 % before the pandemic to 40.9 % during COVID-19 time (P < 0.001).

Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the workflow of the endoscopy unit, lowering the number of procedures performed and potentially compromising the early detection of cancers.

Citation Chiriac S, Stanciu C, Cojocariu C et al. eP503 THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY ACTIVITY IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER FROM NORTH-EASTERN ROMANIA. Endoscopy 2021; 53: S265.

Publication History

Article published online:
19 March 2021