Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Urology Clinic Attendance: Which Diseases are Important for Patients?

Year 2023, , 157 - 162, 29.12.2023

Abullah Çırakoğlu , Erdal Benli , Mevlüt Keleş , Ahmet Yüce , İbrahim Yazıcı

https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1226364

Abstract

Materials and Methods: Patients attending the general urology clinic of SB-ODU Education and Research Hospital were assessed. Dates from 3 February 2020-10 March 2020 were accepted as before the pandemic, with dates from 11 March 2020-29 May 2020 accepted as after the pandemic. Complaints of patients on attendance were grouped as follows: benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), ureteral diseases, kidney diseases, testis and scrotum diseases, incontinence, bladder diseases, sexually-transmitted diseases, penile diseases, emergency urologic problems, sexual problems, urethral diseases, kidney and ureter stones, pediatric diseases and urologic tumors.
Results: While 638 patients attended the urology clinic in the 1.5-month period before the pandemic, 398 patients attended in the 2.5-month period after the pandemic. Additionally, 30.9% of patients attending the clinic before the pandemic were women, while this rate fell to 23.6% after the pandemic. After the pandemic, there were statistically significant reductions identified for attendance due to BPH, ureteral diseases, kidney diseases, incontinence, bladder diseases and urethra diseases. There was no significant difference in attendance due to urinary system tumors, pediatric urologic diseases, attendance due to kidney and ureter stones, sexual problems and emergency urology problems. There were increases identified for attendance for testis and scrotum diseases and sexually-transmitted diseases.
Conclusion: During the pandemic, the numbers of patients attending the urology clinic significantly reduced. There were increases identified for attendance at our clinic for testis and scrotum diseases and sexually-transmitted diseases during the pandemic. While attendance reduced for many disease groups, rates of attendance for urologic emergencies, urinary tumors, pediatric diseases, stone disease and sexual problems continued as usual.

Keywords

COVİD-19, Pandemic, Urology, Outpatient, Attendance

COVİD-19 Pandemisinin Üroloji Poliklinik Başvurularına Etkisi: Hastalar İçin Hangi Hastalıklar Önemli?

Abstract

Amaç: COVİD 19 pandemisi sonrası üroloji polikliniğine başvuran hasta popülasyonunun karakteristiğinde değişiklik olup olmadığını değerlendirdik.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: SB-ODÜ Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Genel Üroloji Polikliniğine başvuran hastalar değerlendirildi. Ülkemizde ilk COVİD vakasının görüldüğü 11 Mart 2020 tarihi sınır kabul edildi. 03 Şubat 2020-10.03.2020 arası pandemi öncesi, 11.03.2020 – 29.05.2020 arası pandemi sonrası olarak alındı. Hastaların başvuru şikayetlerine göre benign prostat hiperplazisi, üreteral hastalıklar, böbrek hastalıkları, testis ve skrotum hastalıkları, inkontinans, mesane hastalıkları, cinsel yolla bulaşan hastalıklar, penil hastalıklar, acil ürolojik problemler, cinsel sorunlar, üretra hastalıkları, böbrek ve üreter taşı, pediatrik hastalar, ürolojik tümörler olarak gruplandırıldı. Her bir gruptaki pandemi öncesi ve sonrası hasta sayıları karşılaştırıldı.
Bulgular: Üroloji polikliniğine pandemi öncesi yaklaşık 1,5 aylık sürede 638 hasta başvururken, pandemi sonrası yaklaşık 2,5 aylık sürede 398 hastanın başvurduğu ve hasta sayısında ciddi azalma olduğu saptandı. Ayrıca pandemi öncesi polikliniğe başvuran hastaların %30,9’u kadın iken pandemi sonrası bu oran %23,6’ya düştüğü görüldü. Pandemi döneminde BPH, Üreteral hastalıklar, böbrek hastalıkları, inkontinans, mesane hastalıkları, üretra hastalıkları nedeniyle başvurularda istatistiksel anlamlı azalma saptanırken, üriner sistem tümörlerinde, pediatrik ürolojik hasta grubunda, böbrek ve üreter taşları nedeniyle başvurularda, cinsel sorunlarda, acil ürolojik problemler nedeniyle başvurularda, fark olmadığı, testis ve skrotum hastalıklarında ve cinsel yolla bulaşan hastalıklarda artış olduğu saptandı.
Sonuç: Pandemi sürecinde üroloji polikliniğine başvuran hasta sayıları ciddi oranda azalmıştır. Pandemi sürecinde polikliniğimize testis ve skrotum hastalıklarından dolayı ve cinsel yolla bulaşan hastalıklar nedeniyle başvurularda artış olduğu saptanmıştır. Birçok hastalık grubunda başvurular azalırken, ürolojik aciller, üriner tümörler, pediatrik hasta grubu, taş hastalığı ve cinsel sorunlar nedeniyle başvuru oranları aynı şekilde devam etmiştir.

Keywords

COVİD-19, Pandemic, Urology, Outpatient, Attendance

References

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Technical Guidance [https://www.who.int/healthtopics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1]
• Chen J, Qi T, Liu L, Ling Y, Qian Z, Li T et al. Clinical progression of patients with COVID-19 in Shanghai, China. J Infect. 2020 May;80(5):e1-e6
• Singhal T. A review of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Indian J Pediatr. 2020 Apr;87(4):281-286
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2 Infection) Guide (Science Board Study): General Information, Epidemiology and Diagnosis. Ankara: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Website. 2020. https://covid19bilgi.saglik.gov.tr/ depo/rehberler/covid-19-rehberi/COVID-19_Rehberı_Genel_ Bılgıler_Epıdemıyolojı_ve_Tanı.pdf. Accessed June 6, 2021.
• Patel PD, Kelly KA, Reynolds RA, Turer RW, Salwi S, Rosenbloom ST, et al. Tracking the Volume of Neurosurgical Care During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. World Neurosurg. 2020 Oct;142:e183-e194
• Zagra L, Faraldi M, Pregliasco F, Vinci A, Lombardi G, Ottaiano I, et al. Changes of clinical activities in an orthopaedic institute in North Italy during the spread of COVID-19 pandemic: a seven-week observational analysis. Int Orthop. 2020 Aug;44(8):1591-1598
• Tefik T, Guven S, Villa L, Gokce MI, Kallidonis P, Petkova K, et al. Urolithiasis practice patterns following the COVID-19 pandemic: overview from the EULIS collaborative research working group. Eur Urol. 2020 Jul; 78(1): 21–24.
• Duran TI, Acikgoz SB, Gurbuz C, Ucar A, Yavuzbilge G, Ozgen M. Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Anxiety in Rheumatology Patients Taking Immunosuppressive Drugs. Kocaeli Med J 2022;11(1):180-190
• Turan C, Metin N, Utlu Z, Oner U, Kotan OS. Change of the diagnostic distribution in applicants to dermatology after COVID-19 pandemic: What it whispers to us? Dermatol Ther. 2020 Jul;33(4):e13804
• Ferahman S, Dural AC, Aydin H, Sahbaz NA, Akarsu C, Peker KD, et al. Analysis of general surgery outpatient clinic admissions and operations during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey: Reactions of 12728 patients. Bratisl Med J 2020; 121 (7) 475 – 80.
• De Filippo O, D'Ascenzo F, Angelini F, Bocchino PP, Conrotto F, Saglietto A, et al. Reduced rate of hospital admissions for ACS during Covid-19 outbreak in Northern Italy. N Engl J Med. 2020 Jul 2;383(1):88-89.
• Duran MB, Yildirim O, Kizilkan Y, Tosun C, Cirakoglu A, Gultekin MH, et al. Variations in the Number of Patients Presenting with Andrological Problems During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Possible Reasons for These Variations: A MultiCenter Study. Sex Med. 2021 Feb;9(1):100292.
• Ribal MJ, Cornford P, Briganti A, Knoll T, Gravas S, Babjuk M, et al. European Association of Urology Guidelines Office Rapid Reaction Group: An organisation-wide collaborative effort to adapt the EAU guidelines recommendations to the COVID-19 era. Eur Urol. 2020 Jul;78(1):21-28.
• Ibarra FP, Mehrad M, Di Mauro M, Godoy MFP, Cruz EG, Nilforoushzadeh MA, et.al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sexual behavior of the population. The vision of the east and the West. Int Braz J Urol. 2020 Jul;46(suppl.1):104-112.