Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on accesses for seizures in the pediatric emergency department

• DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2024.104303
• Publication Date: 2024-11-16T22:21:07Z
• Authors: Alberto M. Cappel...; Alessandro Salici; Antonio A. Tirozzi; Maria T. Molisso; Gaia Bruschi; Elisabetta Lo Iudice; Sarah Palumbo; Giuseppe Bertolozzi
• Keywords: Pandemic; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Several studies reported a reduced rate of accesses to pediatric emergency department (ED) for seizures during COVID-19 pandemic. The aim our study is evaluate the attendance ED seizures, as well influence seizure type and personal history on admissions pandemic period. number clinical features patients admitted because were collected at single hospital in Milan, Italy, between January 2017 December 2021. impact was quantified by using incidence ratio (IRR), comparing period (March 2020 2021) pre-pandemic (January February 2020). During period, 1091 with evaluated, 776 (71.1 %) before 315 (28.9 Mean age evaluation 3.9 years (range: 1 month 17 years). pandemic, we found 30 % decrease rates per (IRR, 0.70; 95 CI, 0.58-0.84), an increased unprovoked (44.8 %, vs 26.5 p < 0.001) focal (29.5 13.1 0.001). Our showed reduction evaluations influenced previous seizures.