Impact of the first national COVID-19 lockdown on management in a gynecological emergency department: illustration of the resilience of a health center

Abstract

Introduction:The implementation of the first national lockdown during COVID-19 epidemic has forced primary care to adapt quickly. Aim: The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the first lockdown imposed on the French population in 2020 on the number of admissions in gynecological emergencies in one center, in comparison with 2019. The secondary objectives were the study of diagnostics, analysis of the treatments and comparison of the complication rates between the two periods studied. Material and methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the gynecological EDs of Cochin Port Royal Hospital (Paris, France) regarding all admissions from 1 February to 30 April for 2019 and 2020. Results: A total of 4911 women were admitted to the gynecological EDs. The lockdown was associated with an average decrease of 20.3 patients per day, independently of the year and period. We noted a significant increase in the odds of deferred surgery (p = 0.02) and hospitalizations (p = 0.03), but this was not significant for immediate emergency surgery (p = 0.4). Moreover, there has been a significant increase in the odds of a new consultation with complication (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 lockdown reduced the admission rate to gynecological EDs in our center, but continues to test the capacity of health systems to manage emergencies.