Abstract:

Introduction: Due to restrictions and fear of contamination, access to health services has become difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for geriatric patients. The fact that hospitals allocate most of their capacity to pandemic services has limited geriatrics" outpatient services. This situation has caused elderly people to postpone their hospital appointments, including otolaryngologic ones, and go to the emergency department in case of necessity. This study aimed to compare the causes and frequency of admission of geriatric otolaryngologic patients to the emergency department during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic to those one year before the pandemic. Materials and Method: Geriatric patients who presented to the emergency department for otolaryngologic reasons during the year before the pandemic and the first year of the pandemic were screened retrospectively. 1,278 patients were included in the study. The reasons and frequency of admission as well as the hospitalization rate were compared. Results: In both periods, the most common reason for admission was epistaxis. While admissions due to facial paralysis and undiagnosed head and neck masses increased during the pandemic (p = 0.004, p = 0.001), hospitalization rates decreased (p = 0.016). Conclusion: During the pandemic, no change was detected in the number of geriatric patients and the most common reason for admission to the emergency department. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, presentations for facial paralysis increased. The number of presentations due to an undiagnosed head and neck mass, which were very rare in the pre-pandemic period, increased significantly during the pandemic.

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