Conference abstract
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of medical emergencies at the Yaoundé Emergency Centre
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2023:17(99).04
Jun 2023.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2023.17.99.1521
Archived on: 04 Jun 2023
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Medical emergencies, rate of consultations, rate of mortality, COVID-19, Yaoundé Emergency Centre
Oral presentation
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of medical emergencies at the Yaoundé Emergency Centre
Gabriel Tchatchouang Mabou1,2,3,&, Charles Kouanfack1,4, Alain Djam Chefor1, Solange Whegang Youdom1, Marie Ange Ngo Yamben5, Ines Kwawa2, Jérôme Ateudjieu1,6, Faustin Atemkeng1, Siméon Pierre Choukem1
1Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Dschang (FMSP-UDs), Dschang, Cameroon, 2Clinical Research Education, Networking and Consultancy (CRENC), Yaoundé, Cameroon, 3Global Research Agency (GRA), Yaoundé, Cameroon, 4Department Day Hospital, Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 5National Centre for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (CNRPH), Yaoundé, Cameroun, 6Meilleur Accès aux Soins de Santé (M.A SANTE), Yaoundé, Cameroun
&Corresponding author
Introduction: the current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has put the world into an unprecedented global crisis. Health systems have faced an enormous challenge to provide the necessary care for this vast burden of patients. As a result, emergency and scheduled care for non-COVID patients have been affected. Medical emergencies mainly affect the elderly due to decreased metabolic activity and immune system response. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate of attendance and mortality in medical emergencies at the Yaoundé Emergency Centre.
Methods: this was an analytical cross-sectional study of all the patients who received care and treatment at medical emergencies from March to September 2019 and 2020. Sociodemographic data (age, gender, pathology) and rates (consultations and deaths) were collected. The data was collected using a review grid in registers. The database was created using Microsoft Excel 2016 and analysis was done using Epi-info version 7.2.2.6.
Results: overall, 5496 patients (3696 from March to September 2019 and 1800 from March to September 2020) in medical emergencies were enrolled. The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the rate of attendance in medical emergencies from 50.67% in 2019 to 46.26% in 2020 [Odd Ratio=0.91, 95%CI=0.76-0.91, P<0.0001]. The rate of mortality was not significantly affected even though it ranged from 7.95% (2019) to 15.85% (2020) [Odd Ratio=1.06, 95%CI=0.71-1.57, P=0.79]. In 2019, Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were the first cause of morbidity (21.62%) and Sepsis, the first cause of mortality (26.19%) meanwhile in 2020, CVDs maintained the first cause of morbidity (21.44%) and strokes became the first cause of mortality (26.60%).
Conclusion: these results suggest an association between the occurrence of the pandemic and the decrease in the attendance rate at medical emergencies. Meanwhile, no association was found between the pandemic and the mortality rate increase.
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of medical emergencies at the Yaoundé Emergency Centre
Gabriel Tchatchouang Mabou1,2,3,&, Charles Kouanfack1,4, Alain Djam Chefor1, Solange Whegang Youdom1, Marie Ange Ngo Yamben5, Ines Kwawa2, Jérôme Ateudjieu1,6, Faustin Atemkeng1, Siméon Pierre Choukem1
1Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Dschang (FMSP-UDs), Dschang, Cameroon, 2Clinical Research Education, Networking and Consultancy (CRENC), Yaoundé, Cameroon, 3Global Research Agency (GRA), Yaoundé, Cameroon, 4Department Day Hospital, Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 5National Centre for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (CNRPH), Yaoundé, Cameroun, 6Meilleur Accès aux Soins de Santé (M.A SANTE), Yaoundé, Cameroun
&Corresponding author
Introduction: the current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has put the world into an unprecedented global crisis. Health systems have faced an enormous challenge to provide the necessary care for this vast burden of patients. As a result, emergency and scheduled care for non-COVID patients have been affected. Medical emergencies mainly affect the elderly due to decreased metabolic activity and immune system response. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate of attendance and mortality in medical emergencies at the Yaoundé Emergency Centre.
Methods: this was an analytical cross-sectional study of all the patients who received care and treatment at medical emergencies from March to September 2019 and 2020. Sociodemographic data (age, gender, pathology) and rates (consultations and deaths) were collected. The data was collected using a review grid in registers. The database was created using Microsoft Excel 2016 and analysis was done using Epi-info version 7.2.2.6.
Results: overall, 5496 patients (3696 from March to September 2019 and 1800 from March to September 2020) in medical emergencies were enrolled. The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the rate of attendance in medical emergencies from 50.67% in 2019 to 46.26% in 2020 [Odd Ratio=0.91, 95%CI=0.76-0.91, P<0.0001]. The rate of mortality was not significantly affected even though it ranged from 7.95% (2019) to 15.85% (2020) [Odd Ratio=1.06, 95%CI=0.71-1.57, P=0.79]. In 2019, Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were the first cause of morbidity (21.62%) and Sepsis, the first cause of mortality (26.19%) meanwhile in 2020, CVDs maintained the first cause of morbidity (21.44%) and strokes became the first cause of mortality (26.60%).
Conclusion: these results suggest an association between the occurrence of the pandemic and the decrease in the attendance rate at medical emergencies. Meanwhile, no association was found between the pandemic and the mortality rate increase.
