Encuesta nacional sobre el tratamiento de la apendicitis aguda en España durante la fase inicial de la pandemia por COVID-19

Abstract

Introducción: La pandemia por COVID-19 ha tenido una importante repercusio´n en los hospitales españoles, que han tenido que destinar todos los recursos disponibles al tratamiento de estos pacientes, reduciendo la capacidad de atender otras enfermedades habituales. Este estudio pretende analizar co´mo se ha visto afectado el tratamiento de la apendicitis aguda. Me´todo: Se ha realizado un estudio nacional descriptivo mediante una encuesta online voluntaria, realizada en Google DriveTMdistribuida por correo electro´nico por la Asociacio´n Espan˜ola de Cirujanos (AEC) a todos los cirujanos miembros en activo (5.203) del 14 de abril al 24 de abril del 2020. Resultados: Se han recibido 337 respuestas de 170 centros nacionales. Durante el primer mes de la pandemia, ha disminuido la incidencia de apendicitis aguda. La opción quirúrgica ha sido la más utilizada tanto en cuadros simples como en complicados, aunque el manejo conservador se ha incrementado. A pesar de que el abordaje laparosco´pico sigue siendo el más utilizado en nuestros hospitales, la vía abierta ha presentado un incremento durante esta pandemia

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on Spanish hospitals, which have had to allocate all available resources to treat these patients, reducing the ability to attend other common pathologies. The aim of this study is to analyze how the treatment of acute appendicitis has been affected.Methods: A national descriptive study was carried out by a online voluntary distribution of a specific questionnaire with Google Drive (TM) distributed by email by the Spanish Association of Surgeons (AEC) to all affiliated surgeons actually working in Spain (5203) opened from April 14th to April 24th.Results: We received 337 responses from 170 centers. During the first month of the pandemic the incidence of acute appendicitis has decreased. Although conservative management has increased, surgical option has been the most used in both simple and complicated appendicitis. Despite the fact that the laparoscopic approach continues to be the most widely used in our services, the open approach has increased during this pandemic period.Conclusion: Highlight the contribution of this study in terms of knowledge of the status of the treatment of acute appendicitis during this first month of the pandemic, being able to serve for a better possible organization in future waves of the pandemic and a reorganization of current protocols and management of acute appendicitis in a pandemic situation. (C) 2020 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.