The Effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on emergency service home service calls due to home accidents in children aged 0-6 in Sakarya, Türkiye?

Özge Karakaya Suzan¹, Pınar Tabakoglu¹, Bahri Elmas², Nursan Çınar³

1. Sakarya University, Institute of Health Sciences, Sakarya, Türkiye
2. Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child Health and Diseases, Türkiye
3. Sakarya University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Türkiye

Corresponding Author; Özge Karakaya Suzan Email: ozgekarakayasuzan@sakarya.edu.tr

Abstract
Background and Aim
The contribution of global pandemics to the emergence of home accidents is unknown. The study aims to retrospectively examine the effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Emergency Service Home Service Calls Due to Home Accidents in Children aged 0-6.
Methods
Data are reported in two sections. The descriptive part is a retrospective analysis of patients admitted to Sakarya Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Emergency and Adult Emergency Unit between March 16, 2019 and January 31, 2020 (non-COVID-19era) and March 16, 2020 and January 31, 2021 (COVID-19era). The second part of the study, the comparative part, presents mean data for 2019-2020 (non-COVID-19era) and 2020-2021 (COVID-19era) from the same center and the same period. These data will then be compared.
Results
A total of 9,110 pediatric patients applied to our center during the study period, of which 7,905 patients were in the non-Covid19era period and 1,205 patients were in the Covid-19 era. While the rate of hospital admissions decreased by 85% in the Covid-19 era compared to the non Covid-19era, when the periods are evaluated within themselves; the forensic report retention rate in the Covid19 era increased by 180% and the rate of hospitalization increased by 75%, The rate of drug overdose increased by 280% and chemical substance use increased by 325% compared to the non-Covid-19era. However The Covid-19 era, the fall rate decreased by 31% and the burn rate decreased by 17% compared to the non-Covid-19 era.
Conclusions
During the national lockdown period, our pediatric emergency department experienced significantly reduced volumes of children. Despite the decrease in hospital admission rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was still a very high increase in poisoning from home accidents. This study can provide a basis for further research on alternative strategies to address the problem of home accidents during the COVID-19 pandemic.