Pediatric Respiratory Illness Hospitalizations Prior to COVID-19 and During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southeast Wisconsin. WMJ 2022 Apr;121(1):54-57
Date
04/21/2022Pubmed ID
35442580Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85128793236 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 1 CitationAbstract
BACKGROUND: Public health measures combatting the COVID-19 pandemic also led to a decrease in other pediatric respiratory illnesses. We describe the local pattern of pediatric respiratory hospitalizations in southeast Wisconsin prior to COVID-19 and during the first year of the pandemic.
METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional examination of hospitalizations for asthma, bronchiolitis, and bacterial pneumonia at a single tertiary children's hospital prior to COVID-19 through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
RESULTS: We found a significant decrease in the average monthly hospitalization rates prior to and during COVID-19 for asthma, bronchiolitis, and bacterial pneumonia (P < 0.001), with average percent decrease of hospitalizations per month of 48%, 78%, and 47.7%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in hospitalizations is likely multifactorial and related to public health measures, behavior changes, and other epidemiological factors.
Author List
Liljestrom T, Bauer SC, Moral F, Preloger E, Chelampath MAuthors
Sarah Bauer MD Assistant Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinTracey H. Liljestrom MD Assistant Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Erin M. Preloger MD Assistant Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AsthmaBronchiolitis
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Hospitalization
Humans
Pandemics
Wisconsin
