BMJ Paediatrics Open (Oct 2021)
Responses of paediatric emergency departments to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe: a cross-sectional survey study
- Antonio Chiaretti,
- Borja Gomez,
- Ian Maconochie,
- Silvia Bressan,
- Damian Roland,
- Luigi Titomanlio,
- Ana Sofia Simões,
- Liviana Da Dalt,
- Henriette A Moll,
- Vanessa Gorito,
- Michael Barrett,
- Lina Jankauskaite,
- Niccolo Parri,
- Rianne Oostenbrink,
- Dorine Borensztajn,
- Ruud Nijman,
- Michael Bennett,
- Mark Lyttle,
- Danilo Buonsenso,
- Romain Basmaci,
- Stuart Hartshorn,
- Roberto Velasco,
- Susanne Greber-Platzer,
- Shrouk Messahel,
- Sylvester Gomes,
- Clarissa Barber,
- Romain Guedj,
- Zanda Pucuka,
- Kate Honeyford,
- João Viana,
- Patricia Macao,
- Camille Aupiais,
- Samuel Rhedin,
- Jonas Thüminger,
- Sofia Reis,
- Katy Rose,
- Zsolt Bognar,
- Tisham De,
- Ruth Farrugia,
- Alexis Rybak,
- Asgeir Haraldsson,
- Caner Turan,
- Christoph Zurl,
- Corinne Vasilico,
- Daniel Weghuber,
- Daniela Kohlfuerst,
- Danielle Rose,
- Esra Akyüz Özkan,
- Fiona Leonard,
- Florian Hey,
- Florian Hoffman,
- Francisca Saraiva,
- Gábor Simon,
- Inês Mascarenhas,
- John Jensen,
- Julia Lischka,
- Katarina Vincek,
- Laszlo Fodor,
- Lia Mano,
- Malin Ryd Rinder,
- Matthias Schaffert,
- Merve Havan,
- Mojca Kolnik,
- Naomi Lin,
- Nuno Serrade Almeida,
- Orkun Aydın,
- Ozlem Teksam,
- Paddy Fitzpatrick,
- Petra Salamon,
- Rohan Mongru,
- Rosa Morello,
- Sandra Soares Cardoso,
- Sofia Rapti,
- Sonia Andrade Santos,
- Susana Castanhinha,
- Thibault de Groc,
- Urdur Jonsdottir,
- Valtýr Stefánsson Thors,
- Vanda Anacleto,
- Vytenis Masillonis
Affiliations
- Antonio Chiaretti
- 1 Institute of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Borja Gomez
- Pediatric Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Cruces, Barakaldo, Spain
- Ian Maconochie
- Department of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Silvia Bressan
- 3 Department of Women`s and Children`s Health, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- Damian Roland
- SAPPHIRE Group, Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Luigi Titomanlio
- 16 Pediatric Emergency Department, Hopital Universitaire Robert-Debre, Paris, France
- Ana Sofia Simões
- Liviana Da Dalt
- 7 Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- Henriette A Moll
- Department of General Paediatrics, Erasmus MC Sophia Children Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Vanessa Gorito
- Michael Barrett
- School of Medicine, Women`s and Children`s Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Lina Jankauskaite
- Niccolo Parri
- 13 Emergency Department & Trauma Center, Ospedale Paediatrico Meyer Firenze, Florence, Italy
- Rianne Oostenbrink
- General Paediatrics, ErasmusMC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Dorine Borensztajn
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Ruud Nijman
- Department of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Division of Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
- Michael Bennett
- 1 Pathology Department, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
- Mark Lyttle
- 5Research in Emergency Care Avon Collaborative Hub, University of the West of England, Bristol
- Danilo Buonsenso
- Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Romain Basmaci
- Stuart Hartshorn
- 6 Emergency Department, Birmingham Children`s Hospital, Birmingham, UK
- Roberto Velasco
- Pediatric Emergency Department, Hospital Universitari Parc Tauli, Sabadell, Spain
- Susanne Greber-Platzer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Shrouk Messahel
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
- Sylvester Gomes
- 1 Paediatric Emergency Department, Evelina London Children`s Hospital, London, UK
- Clarissa Barber
- Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
- Romain Guedj
- Sorbonne Université, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Trousseau Hospital, Paediatric Emergency Department, Paris, France
- Zanda Pucuka
- Kate Honeyford
- Team Health Informatics, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- João Viana
- Patricia Macao
- Camille Aupiais
- Samuel Rhedin
- Jonas Thüminger
- Sofia Reis
- Katy Rose
- Climate Change Working Group, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, UK
- Zsolt Bognar
- 15 Department of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Heim Pal National Paediatric Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- Tisham De
- 11 Imperial College Medical School, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Ruth Farrugia
- 12 Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
- Alexis Rybak
- Asgeir Haraldsson
- Caner Turan
- Christoph Zurl
- Corinne Vasilico
- Daniel Weghuber
- Daniela Kohlfuerst
- Danielle Rose
- Esra Akyüz Özkan
- Fiona Leonard
- Florian Hey
- Florian Hoffman
- Francisca Saraiva
- Gábor Simon
- Inês Mascarenhas
- John Jensen
- Julia Lischka
- Katarina Vincek
- Laszlo Fodor
- Lia Mano
- Malin Ryd Rinder
- 1 Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Matthias Schaffert
- Merve Havan
- 2Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Divisions of Pediatric Critical Care
- Mojca Kolnik
- Naomi Lin
- The London Research, Evaluation and Audit for Child Health (REACH) Network, London, UK
- Nuno Serrade Almeida
- Orkun Aydın
- Ozlem Teksam
- Paddy Fitzpatrick
- Petra Salamon
- Rohan Mongru
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Rosa Morello
- Sandra Soares Cardoso
- Sofia Rapti
- Sonia Andrade Santos
- Susana Castanhinha
- Thibault de Groc
- Urdur Jonsdottir
- Valtýr Stefánsson Thors
- Vanda Anacleto
- Vytenis Masillonis
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001269
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 5,
no. 1
Abstract
Objective Understanding how paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) across Europe adapted their healthcare pathways in response to COVID-19 will help guide responses to ongoing waves of COVID-19 and potential future pandemics. This study aimed to evaluate service reconfiguration across European PEDs during the initial COVID-19 wave.Design This cross-sectional survey included 39 PEDs in 17 countries. The online questionnaire captured (1) study site characteristics, (2) departmental changes and (3) pathways for children with acute illness pre and during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic (January–May 2020). Number of changes to health services, as a percentage of total possible changes encompassed by the survey, was compared with peak national SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates, and for both mixed and standalone paediatric centres.Results Overall, 97% (n=38) of centres remained open as usual during the pandemic. The capacity of 18 out of 28 (68%) short-stay units decreased; in contrast, 2 units (7%) increased their capacity. In 12 (31%) PEDs, they reported acting as receiving centres for diverted children during the pandemic.There was minimal change to the availability of paediatric consultant telephone advice services, consultant supervision of juniors or presence of responsible specialists within the PEDs.There was no relationship between percentage of possible change at each site and the peak national SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate. Mixed paediatric and adult hospitals made 8% of possible changes and standalone paediatric centres made 6% of possible changes (p=0.086).Conclusion Overall, there was limited change to the organisation or delivery of services across surveyed PEDs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
