Trends of interventional radiology procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: the first 27 weeks in the eye of the storm

Abstract

Objectives While the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic looks to persist, institutions promote delaying procedures. Understanding trends and demands of interventional radiology (IR) procedures in the infected and COVID-free populations are needed in long-term planning. We detail IR procedure trends in the first 27 weeks of the pandemic and compare with the pre-pandemic era. Methods In this IRB approved retrospective electronic case review, all IR patients in our institution from 1 January to 9 July 2020, the same period in 2019 pre-pandemic and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) outbreak were included. IR procedures were classified using Interventional Radiology—Procedure Acuity Scale (IR-PAS) and category of IR procedures. Along with descriptive frequencies, the Mann–Whitney U test and Chi-square test of independence were performed. Results During the pandemic, 3655 IR procedures were performed compared to 3851 procedures pre-pandemic. No statistically significant difference in weekly IR caseloads across IR-PAS tiers between both periods (p = .088) and category of procedure (p = .054) were noted. General intervention procedures remained the largest proportion and musculoskeletal procedures the minority, in both periods. More general intervention radiology and oncology procedures were performed during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the SARS-CoV outbreak. Thirty-four (0.93%) IR procedures were performed on 30 COVID-19 patients. There was no IR procedure-related COVID-19 cross-transmission. Conclusions Demand for IR procedures among COVID-free patients remains high, and IR procedures involving COVID-19 represents a fraction of the IR caseload. A sustainable model in providing timely IR services to COVID-free patients needs to be considered.

One Year on: An Overview of Singapore’s Response to COVID-19—What We Did, How We Fared, How We Can Move Forward

“…Several articles were about surgical specialties [381][382][383][384][385][386][387], such as the management of cholecystitis [382], the outcomes in pregnant women infected with COVID-19 [384], and the decrease in hip fractures [385]. The impact on conditions related to other specialties [388][389][390][391][392][393] was also described, such as the reduction in the number of patients seen at the emergency department [394], the epidemiological trends in Kawasaki disease [389], and the management of patients with chronic pain [395].…”

An evaluation of the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic on interventional radiographers' wellbeing

“…Many elective procedures were temporarily suspended to coincide with “waves” ( Figure 1 ) or increases in the hospitalisation of COVID-19 positive patients. 12 On the other hand interventional radiographers needed to perform many emergency procedures as part of the management of patients who had COVID-19 or suffered from the after effects of the virus. For example, there was an increase in the number of patients presenting with pulmonary embolus (PE) post-COVID recovery who needed additional treatment.…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on Interventional Radiology Practice Worldwide: Results from a Global Survey

“…Surveys collected in the UK and Canada during the first wave confirmed the reduction in IR services, particularly elective treatments and reported absence of training on the use of PPE [13][14][15]. As the second wave began, further postponement and delays in provisions for IR services were not regarded as a sustainable solution, and many IRs worried about the negative effect on the wellbeing of patients [16][17][18][19].…”