The Effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on emergency service home service calls due to home accidents in children aged 0-6 in Sakarya, Türkiye?

Abstract

Background and Aim
The contribution of global pandemics to the emergence of home accidents is unknown. The study aims to retrospectively examine the
effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Emergency Service Home Service Calls Due to Home Accidents in Children aged 0-6.
Methods
Data are reported in two sections. The descriptive part is a retrospective analysis of patients admitted to Sakarya Training and Research
Hospital Pediatric Emergency and Adult Emergency Unit between March 16, 2019 and January 31, 2020 (non-COVID-19era) and
March 16, 2020 and January 31, 2021 (COVID-19era). The second part of the study, the comparative part, presents mean data for
2019-2020 (non-COVID-19era) and 2020-2021 (COVID-19era) from the same center and the same period. These data will then be
compared.
Results
A total of 9,110 pediatric patients applied to our center during the study period, of which 7,905 patients were in the non-Covid-
19era period and 1,205 patients were in the Covid-19 era. While the rate of hospital admissions decreased by 85% in the Covid-19era
compared to the non Covid-19era, when the periods are evaluated within themselves; the forensic report retention rate in the Covid-
19era increased by 180% and the rate of hospitalization increased by 75%, The rate of drug overdose increased by 280% and chemical
substance use increased by 325% compared to the non-Covid-19era. However The Covid-19 era, the fall rate decreased by 31% and
the burn rate decreased by 17% compared to the non-Covid-19 era.
Conclusions
During the national lockdown period, our pediatric emergency department experienced significantly reduced volumes of children.
Despite the decrease in hospital admission rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was still a very high increase in poisoning from
home accidents. This study can provide a basis for further research on alternative strategies to address the problem of home accidents
during the COVID-19 pandemic.