Trends in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media Burden During the First COVID-19 Year

Objective To study the changes in acute otitis media (AOM) pediatric emergency department (PED) visits and pediatric admission before and during the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) year. Study Design Retrospective case review. Setting Secondary care center. Patients Children younger than 18 years with all-cause and AOM-related PED visits and pediatric admissions for 3 years (March 1, 2018–January 28, 2021) were identified. Children were categorized according to age (0–2, 2–6, and 6–18 yr) and their date of presentation: pre–COVID-19 (yearly average of visits/admissions during the 2 prepandemic years: March 1, 2018–February 28, 2019 and March 1, 2019–February 29, 2020) or COVID-19 year (visits/admissions between March 1, 2020–February 28, 2021). Intervention Pre– and post–COVID-19 emergence, alternating lockdowns, kindergarten and school closures, and increased hygiene measures. Main Outcome Measure Post– versus pre–COVID-19 AOM PED visit and pediatric admission incidence rate ratios (IRRs), using a generalized estimating equation model with a negative binomial regression calculation, while controlling for monthly fluctuations. Results Annual AOM visits/admissions during the pre–COVID-19 and COVID-19 years were 517 and 192 and 256 and 94, respectively (p
Source: Otology and Neurotology - Category: ENT & OMF Tags: Middle Ear And Mastoid Disease Source Type: research