Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Admissions for Common Infections
Author Information
Author(s): Fahmi Ali, Palin Victoria, Zhong Xiaomin, Yang Ya-Ting, Watts Simon, Ashcroft Darren M., Goldacre Ben, MacKenna Brian, Fisher Louis, Massey Jon, Mehrkar Amir, Bacon Seb, the OpenSAFELY Collaborative, Hand Kieran, van Staa Tjeerd Pieter
Primary Institution: University of Manchester
Hypothesis
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect hospital admissions related to common infections and antibiotic prescribing?
Conclusion
The study found that antibiotics were more effective in preventing complications from lower respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections compared to upper respiratory tract infections.
Supporting Evidence
- Antibiotics were found to be more effective in preventing complications from LRTI and UTI.
- Hospital admissions for infections dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Risk prediction models indicated that age and comorbidities were significant predictors of hospital admissions.
Takeaway
This study looked at how COVID-19 changed the way doctors treated common infections and found that giving antibiotics helped prevent serious problems for some infections.
Methodology
The study used electronic health records to analyze hospital admissions for common infections from January 2019 to August 2022, excluding patients with COVID-19 diagnoses.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients with COVID-19 and reliance on electronic health records.
Limitations
The study did not include children and relied on electronic health records, which may not capture all relevant clinical details.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on adult patients with common infections, including lower respiratory tract infections, upper respiratory tract infections, and urinary tract infections.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
0.35–0.36 for LRTI, 0.44–0.46 for UTI, 1.03–1.06 for URTI
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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