A comparison of endoscopic procedures performed at a tertiary care hospital before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Introduction and aim

SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019 and had a huge impact on the world. The area of endoscopy suffered great changes, causing a reduction in the number of procedures and its indications. The aim of our study was to compare the quantity, indication, and type of procedures in 2019 with those in 2020.

Method

A retrospective, observational, analytic, and cross-sectional study was conducted, obtaining information from the endoscopy registry. The STROBE checklist was employed.

Statistical analysis

The quantitative variables were analyzed with descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion) and the categorical variables with frequencies and percentages. The quantitative variables were compared, using the Student’s t test/Mann–Whitney U test, and the categorical variables with contingency tables, using the Fisher’s exact test.

Results

In 2019, a total of 277 procedures were performed, compared with 139 in 2020. Mean patient age was 98.53 months (61.46 SD) in 2019 and 77.02 months (59.81 SD) in 2020; 352 diagnostic procedures and 136 therapeutic procedures were carried out in 2019, compared with 51 diagnostic procedures and 88 therapeutic procedures in 2020. The number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures were inverted (72.1%–36.7% and 27.9%–63.3%, respectively) (p < 0.0001). Esophageal varices, upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), and foreign body extraction were the indications, in order of predominance in 2019, compared with foreign body extraction (p < 0.05), UGIB, and esophageal varices in 2020. There were no differences regarding colonoscopy.

Conclusion

There was a clear difference in indication and type of procedure, with an increase in foreign body extraction in preschoolers.