Comparative Study of Postoperative Outcomes of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 Pediatric Patients Undergoing Emergency Surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Most of the indicated surgeries in children will be postponed during the pandemic, however, in some cases requiring emergency surgery, surgery must be performed. Pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection who undergo surgery are at higher risk of experiencing complications and complications.  Aim and Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients with COVID-19 compared to non-COVID-19 patients who underwent emergency surgery. Materials and Methods: This was an analytical observational study with a retrospective design that was conducted on pediatric patients who had emergency surgery at the emergency room operating theater of Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya, Indonesia. The samples were categorized into two groups: COVID-19 and non COVID-19. Data was obtained by reviewing the medical records of the patients. A comparison between the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups was made using statistical tests such as Chi-square, Mann Whitney, and Independent t-Test. Results and Conclusion: A total of 34 pediatric patients who underwent emergency surgery (14 COVID-19 and 20 non COVID-19) were included in this study. The median length of stay in the COVID-19 group was 9 days while the non-COVID-19 group was 7.5 days, this was not significantly different (P = 0.608). The percentage of deaths in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups was 21.4% and 30%, respectively, with a significance value of p = 0.933. There were no significant differences in postoperative outcomes in terms of the incidence of length of stay and the discharge condition of patients whether alive or dead in pediatric patients with COVID-19 compared to non- COVID-19 patients who underwent emergency surgery.