Medical and economic influence of the German hospital reform in 2024 on the hospitalisation and treatment of patients with odontogenic abscesses: the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, including in Germany. This study investigated the impact of the pandemic on the management of dental abscesses and examined the implications for the upcoming German healthcare reform. Aims To assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and treatment outcomes for dental abscesses, and to analyse the relationships between these findings and the German healthcare reform. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A major metropolitan hospital in Munich. Materials and methods In total, 200 patients (93 in 2019, 107 in 2020) with dental abscesses were studied. Data collected included demographics, pre-hospitalisation antibiotic use, ICU admissions, and length of stay (LOS). Statistical analysis compared the outcomes between the two years. Results ICU LOS significantly decreased in 2020 (3.3 days versus 13.7 days in 2019; p = 0.022). More patients in 2020 received antibiotics before hospitalisation and fewer required surgeries. Overall, hospital resource usage was more efficient in 2020. Discussion The pandemic emphasised the importance of preventive dental care. It highlighted how local dental offices can play a more significant role in managing dental emergencies, with potential implications for the German healthcare system's future structure and resource allocation. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped dental emergency care and hospital resource usage. This shift has significant implications for the future organisation of healthcare, especially in the context of the German hospital reform.