Surgery

Economics

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Pediatrics

Retrospective cohort study

Otitis

Middle ear

Attendance

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Internal medicine

Medicine

Medical diagnosis

Economic growth

Acute otitis media

Pandemic

Disease

Pathology

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: To measure patient flow at our Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) during the Italian lockdown, with particular care in terms of otolaryngological (ENT)-related diagnoses. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of electronic charts of children admitted to our PED in the City Center of Milan (Italy) for any disease. The outcome was to compare distribution of diagnoses performed at our PED during 21 February–3 May 2019 (period 1) to 21 February–3 May 2020 (period 2). Results: A total of 4538 children were evaluated during period 1 compared to 1310 during period 2. A statistically significant overall effect on diagnosis between the study periods was attested (p-value &lt; 0.001; pseudo R2 = 0.010), ENT-related diagnoses being more frequently documented in period 1 (80.4% vs. 19.5%; p-value &lt; 0.001), as well as those related to middle ear infections (92.8% vs. 7.2%; p-value &lt; 0.001). Non-complicated acute otitis media more frequently occurred in period 1 (92.0% vs. 8.0%; p-value &lt; 0.001); no significant difference in the number of complicated middle ear infections occurred (95.8% vs. 4.2%). Conclusions: The exceptional circumstances of the Italian lockdown resulted in a significant decrease in patients’ attendance to our PED, especially when considering diagnoses related to any ENT disorder, middle ear disease, and non-complicated middle ear infection.

Has Otitis Media Disappeared during COVID-19 Pandemic? A Fortuitus Effect of Domestic Confinement