Inpatient Admissions for Emergency Conditions Decrease During COVID-19

VA hospital admissions nationwide were down 42% during six weeks in March and April 2020 compared with the six weeks prior.

Recent studies suggest that some patients with cardiac disease have not presented to emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic (NEJM JW Emerg Med Jun 2020 and N Engl J Med 2020 Apr 28; [e-pub]). However, it is unclear whether this is true for other emergency conditions as well. Researchers analyzed the U.S. Veteran's Affairs (VA) database to describe admissions trends for six emergency conditions (stroke, myocardial infarction [MI], heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, appendicitis, and pneumonia), comparing six weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 11 to April 21, 2020) to the six weeks immediately prior (January 29 to March 10).

Overall, 42% fewer patients with these emergency conditions were admitted during t…

Reviewing Author

Ali S. Raja, MD, MBA, MPH

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Board Member); American College of Healthcare Executives – Massachusetts (Board Member)

Ali S. Raja, MD, MBA, MPH

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Board Member); American College of Healthcare Executives – Massachusetts (Board Member)

Inpatient Admissions for Emergency Conditions Decrease During COVID-19

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Reviewing Author