Breakdown of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Care during the First Year of the Pandemic in Poland
A Retrospective National Cohort Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15515182 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marcin Kleibert (0000-0003-1562-8450, Medical University of Warsaw, corresponding author), Beata Mrozikiewicz‐Rakowska (0000-0002-1160-9204, Medical University of Warsaw, corresponding author), Patrycja Małgorzata Bąk (0000-0001-8259-0718, Medical University of Warsaw), Daniel Bałut (Medical University of Warsaw), Jakub Zielinski (0000-0001-8935-8137, University of Warsaw), Leszek Czupryniak (0000-0003-2396-8885, Medical University of Warsaw) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 3827-3827 |
| Publication date | 2022-03-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph19073827 |
| PMID | 35409510 |
| OpenAlex | W4220927874 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 50 |
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a breakdown of the system of DFU patient care. This retrospective national cohort study analyses the epidemiological status of DFU patients in relation to urgent and elective hospitalizations, amputation rates, and deaths in Poland from 2017 to 2019, and during 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The data were obtained from national medical records gathered by the National Health Fund (NHF). Discharge diagnoses were categorized according to ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes. Analysis of the data showed a statistically significant decrease in elective hospital admissions (from 29.6% to 26.3%, p = 0.001). There was a decrease in the percentage of hospitalizations related to limb-salvage procedures (from 79.4% to 71.3%, p = 0.001). The opposite tendency was observed among urgent hospital admissions (from 67.0% to 73.2%, p = 0.01), which was related to a significant increase in the number of minor amputations (from 3146 to 4269, p = 0.017). This rise was in parallel with the increase in the percentage of patients who died during hospitalization due to DFU (from 3.9% to 4.8%, p = 0.03). The number of deaths has not changed significantly (from 590.7 to 668.0, p = 0.26). The results of the conducted analyses confirm the negative tendencies in the medical care of patients with DFU during the first year of the pandemic in Poland. Changes in therapy schemes and stronger patient support following this period are necessary to avoid further complications in patients with DFU
Amputation · Cohort · Cohort study · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Diabetes mellitus · Diabetic foot · Diabetic foot ulcer · Disease · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Medical record · Pandemic · Retrospective cohort study · Diabetic Foot Ulcer Assessment and Management · Diagnosis and Treatment of Venous Diseases · Medicine · Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management · Emergency Medicine · Epidemiology · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics · Surgery
| Highly cited | No |
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