Impact of COVID-19 on Admissions and Outcomes for Children With Complex Chronic Conditions.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2022
Identifier
DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-006334
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although pediatric health care use declined during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the impact on children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) has not been well reported.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of the pandemic on inpatient use and outcomes for children with CCCs.
METHODS: This multicenter cross-sectional study used data from the Pediatric Health Information System. We examined trends in admissions between January 2020 through March 2021, comparing them to the same timeframe in the previous 3 years (pre-COVID-19). We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the association of the COVID-19 period and outcomes for children with CCCs presenting between March 16, 2020 to March 15, 2021 (COVID-19 period) to the same timeframe in the previous 3 years (pre-COVID-19).
RESULTS: Children with CCCs experienced a 19.5% overall decline in admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Declines began in the second week of March of 2020, reaching a nadir in early April 2020. Changes in admissions varied over time and by admission indication. Children with CCCs hospitalized for pneumonia and bronchiolitis experienced overall declines in admissions of 49.7% to 57.7%, whereas children with CCCs hospitalized for diabetes experienced overall increases in admissions of 21.2%. Total and index length of stay, costs, and ICU use, although statistically higher during the COVID-19 period, were similar overall to the pre-COVID-19 period.
CONCLUSIONS: Total admissions for children with CCCs declined nearly 20% during the pandemic. Among prevalent conditions, the greatest declines were observed for children with CCCs hospitalized with respiratory illnesses. Despite declines in admissions, overall hospital-level outcomes remained similar.
Journal Title
Hosp Pediatr
Volume
12
Issue
4
First Page
337
Last Page
353
MeSH Keywords
COVID-19; Child; Chronic Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospitalization; Humans; Pandemics
Keywords
COVID-19; Child; Chronic Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospitalization; Humans; Pandemics
Recommended Citation
Markham JL, Richardson T, Teufel RJ, et al. Impact of COVID-19 on Admissions and Outcomes for Children With Complex Chronic Conditions. Hosp Pediatr. 2022;12(4):337-353. doi:10.1542/hpeds.2021-006334
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