Elsevier

Epilepsy & Behavior

Volume 115, February 2021, 107497
Epilepsy & Behavior

Brief Communication
Impact of COVID-19 on seizure-related emergency attendances and hospital admissions — A territory-wide observational study,☆☆,★★★

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107497Get rights and content

Abstract

This is a territory-wide study to investigate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) attendances and acute ward admissions for seizures. Adult patients who presented to the A&E with seizures from January 23, 2020 to March 24, 2020 (study period) were included and compared with parallel intervals from 2015 to 2019 (control periods). Preexisting time trend in control periods and potential changes during COVID-19 were analyzed by Poisson, negative and logistic regression models.

Accident and Emergency Department attendances and ward admissions for seizures decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 319 and 230 recorded ward admissions and A&E attendances for seizures were identified during the study period in 2020, compared with 494 and 343 per annum, respectively in the control periods. The ratio of acute ward admission per A&E attendance for seizures did not change significantly. Intensive care utility and mortality rates remained stable.

For some patients, delaying medical attention due to fear of nosocomial COVID-19 cross-infection may lead to severe or even life-threatening consequences. This change in medical help-seeking behavior calls for new medical care models to meet the service gap. Education to patients with epilepsy and their caregivers is of utmost importance during this pandemic.

Keywords

COVID-19
Pandemic
Epilepsy
Seizures
Help-seeking behavior

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Publication History: This manuscript has not been published previously.

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Statistical Analysis: Conducted by Eric HY Lau, PhD, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.

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Study Funding: This study did not receive specific funding. Patrick Kwan is supported by a Medical Research Future Fund Practitioner Fellowship (MRF1136427).

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Common first authors. These authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

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