RETROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF COVID19 PANDEMIC IMPACT ON CRC DIAGNOSIS AT GIRONA’S REFERENCE HOSPITAL

Aims Introduction: Due to the covid-19 pandemic, most of the endoscopy units were forced to decrease their usual activity dramatically. This fact made the implementation of a prioritization criteria necessary for the restoration to their usual operation.

Aim: Evaluation of the pandemic impact on colorectal cancer (CRC) cases diagnosed in our center.

Methods Retrospective observational study of CRC cases endoscopically diagnosed in out hospital from January 2019 to May 2020 evaluating demographic variables, waiting time, TNM staging and mortality in before and after pandemic beginning.

Results:

Table 1

Variables	Total	Prepandemic	Postpandemic
CRC: n	153	74	79
Wait time: median (±IQR*)	16 (+42)	24 (±52,5)	14 (±24,5)
Metastasis: n (%)	47 (30,72%)	27 (36,49%)	20 (25,32%)
Exitus** : n (%)	29 (18,95%)	17 (22,97%)	12 (15,19%)

(*Interquartile range; **CRC related exitus)

Conclusions During pandemic’s first year no increase was observed in the length of waiting time and neither was the finding of an advanced stage or mortality. The use of a priority criteria seems to be a useful strategy to be applied on endoscopy unit management.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 April 2022