Endoscopy 2020; 52(12): 1111-1115
DOI: 10.1055/a-1201-9618
Innovations and brief communications

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastrointestinal endoscopy activity in France

Arthur Belle*
 1   Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology, Cochin Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
,
Maximilien Barret*
 1   Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology, Cochin Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
 2   University of Paris, Paris, France
,
David Bernardini
 3   Gastroenterology Department, La Casamance Private Hospital, Aubagne, France
,
Anne-Laure Tarrerias
 4   Gastroenterology Department, Hôpital Foch, Suresnes, Île-de-France, France
,
Erwan Bories
 5   Gastroenterology Department, Hôpital Privé de Provence, Aix En Provence, France
,
Vianna Costil
 6   Gastroenterology Department, Pôle Santé des 4 Temps, Puteaux, France
,
Bernard Denis
 7   Médecine A, Hôpital Pasteur, Colmar, France
,
Rodica Gincul
 8   Service de Gastroentérologie, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France
,
David Karsenti
 9   Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Clinique de Paris-Bercy, Charenton-le-Pont, France
,
Stephane Koch
10   Gastroenterology Department, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
,
Arthur Laquiere
11   Gastroenterology Department, Hôpital St Joseph, Marseille, France
,
Thierry Lecomte
12   Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Digestive Oncology, Trousseau University Hospital, Tours, France
,
Vincent Quentin
13   Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Hôpital St Brieuc, St Brieuc, France
,
Gabriel Rahmi
14   Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris, France
,
Michel Robaszkiewicz
15   Department of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, CHRU de Brest, Brest, France
,
Eric Vaillant
16   Department of Gastroenterology, Centre médical du Nord, Lille, France
,
Geoffroy Vanbiervliet
17   Digestive Endoscopy, Hôpital de L'Archet 2, Nice, France
,
Ariane Vienne
18   Department of Gastroenterology, Hôpital privé d'Anthony, Anthony, France
,
Franck Dumeiran
19   Gastroenterology Department, Société française d'endoscopie digestive, Limoges, France
,
Olivier Gronier
20   Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clinique Sainte Barbe, Strasbourg, France
,
Stanislas Chaussade
 1   Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology, Cochin Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
 2   University of Paris, Paris, France
,
for the French Society of Digestive Endoscopy (Société Française d’Endoscopie Digestive) › Institutsangaben

Abstract

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has majorly affected medical activity around the world. We sought to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy activity in France.

Methods We performed a web-based survey, including 35 questions on the responders and their endoscopic practice, from 23 March to 27 March 2020, sent to the 3300 French gastroenterologists practicing endoscopy.

Results 694 GI endoscopists (21 %) provided analyzable data; of these, 29.4 % (204/694) were involved in the management of COVID-19 patients outside the endoscopy department. During the study period, 98.7 % (685/694) of endoscopists had had to cancel procedures. There were 89 gastroenterologists (12.8 %) who reported symptoms compatible with COVID-19 infection, and a positive PCR test was recorded in 12/197 (6.1 %) vs. 3/497 (0.6 %) endoscopists in the high vs. low prevalence areas, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic led to a major reduction in the volume of GI endoscopies performed in France in March 2020. The prolonged limited access to GI endoscopy could lead to a delay in the management of patients with GI cancers.

* Contributed equally to this article


Supplementary material



Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 28. April 2020

Angenommen: 17. Juni 2020

Accepted Manuscript online:
17. Juni 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
08. Juli 2020

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