Evolution in the incidence of infectious diseases in the pediatric ENT area during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Acta otorrinolaringológica española (English) 2023-07, Vol.74 (4), p.232-238
• Main Authors: Torres-García, Lidia, Mellidez Acosta, Raúl, Cañada Martínez, Antonio, Ibáñez Alcañiz, Isabel, Alamar Velazquez, Agustín, Armengot Carceller, Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute otitis media; Complicated sinus infections; Deep cervical infections; Infecciones cervicales profundas; Original; Otitis media aguda; Paediatric; Pediatrico; SARS COV-2; Sinusitis complicadas
• ISSN: 2173-5735; 2173-5735
• DOI: 10.1016/j.otoeng.2022.11.007

SARS COV-2 infection is an emerging disease that has become a global pandemic since the beginning of 2020. To reduce transmission, measures have been imposed by governments such as home confinement, the use of masks, social distancing or promotion of hand hygiene. The aim of this study is to determine if the measures adopted to reduce the COVID-19 pandemic have produced a decrease in the incidence of infectious diseases and their complications in the ENT area in our center. A retrospective descriptive study was carried out in a tertiary hospital of patients aged between 0 and 15 years who required admission due to deep cervical infections, complications derived from acute otitis media (mastoiditis or facial paralysis) or complicated acute sinusitis. There is a notable decrease in the number of global admissions in the COVID period (9) compared to the average of the previous 5 years (20.1). Likewise, there are statistically significant differences in the number of admissions for cervical infections (p value=0.027) and complications derived from acute otitis media (p value=0.029). A decrease in the number of admissions caused by complications of infections in the ENT area in paediatric patients has been observed after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in our environment, this fact could be explained by a global decrease in the number of infections of the upper respiratory tract due to the hygienic measures taken by the COVID-19 pandemic. La infección por SARS COV-2 es una enfermedad emergente que se ha convertido en pandemia mundial desde inicios del año 2020. Para disminuir el contagio se han impuesto medidas por parte de los gobiernos como son el confinamiento domiciliario, el uso de mascarillas, el distanciamiento social o la promoción de la higiene de manos. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar si las medidas adoptadas para frenar la pandemia COVID-19 han producido una disminución de la incidencia de enfermedades infecciosas y sus complicaciones en el área ORL en nuestro medio. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo en un hospital terciario de pacientes con edades comprendidas entre 0 y 15 años que precisaron ingreso por presentar infecciones cervicales profundas, complicaciones derivadas de otitis media aguda (mastoiditis o parálisis facial) o sinusitis aguda complicada. Existe una disminución reseñable en el número de ingresos globales en el período COVID (9) respecto a la media de los 5 años previos (20,1). Así mismo, existen diferencia