The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Head and Neck Cancer Practice - Tertiary Health Care Center Experience

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed practice patterns of head and neck oncology services, as well as other service areas of health care. This study aims to describe the impact of COVID-19 on the services of the division of otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery at an academic tertiary referral hospital specialized in oncology. This is a single-center descriptive study conducted within the otorhinolaryngology department of a tertiary health care institution, which mainly provided service to oncological cases during the pandemic.
METHODS: Data of cases over 18 years old on the numbers of outpatient visits, hospitalizations, otorhinolaryngological surgeries, and indications were obtained from March 1 to May 15 for 2019 and 2020 from hospital information management system. Data on preoperative test results of asymptomatic patients for COVID-19, going through for head and neck oncological surgeries were obtained from the same system.
RESULTS: There is a decrease in the total number of outpatient visits in 2020 compared to 2019. (16814 vs. 7108, 57.7%). The numbers of hospitalizations and surgeries related to head and neck malignancies were increased despite the decrease in the total number of hospitalizations (278 vs. 129, p <0.001) and in the total number of surgeries (231 vs. 111, p < 0.001). One of the 88 preoperative COVID-19 tests of asymptomatic patients was positive. No member of the staff got infected.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Although there is a decrease in the number of patients in the 2020 period, the increase in the qualitative characteristics of the head and neck oncological procedures performed causes an increase in the difficulties / risks that health professionals face even though they do not work for pandemic services.

COVID-19 Pandemisi Sürecinin Baþ Boyun Kanserleri Pratiðine Etkisi – Üçüncü Basamak Saðlýk Merkezi Deneyimi

GÝRÝÞ ve AMAÇ: Koronavirüs hastalýðý - 2019 (COVID-19), saðlýk hizmetinin diðer alanlarýnda olduðu gibi, baþ ve boyun onkolojisi hizmetlerinin uygulama düzenlerini deðiþtirmiþtir. Bu çalýþma, COVID-19'un, onkolojide özelleþmiþ üçüncü basamak bir akademik saðlýk kurumunun Kulak Burun Boðaz, Baþ Ve Boyun Cerrahisi Bölümü hizmetleri üzerindeki etkisini açýklamayý amaçlamaktadýr. Çalýþmamýz, pandemi sürecinde onkolojik olgulara hizmet veren üçüncü basamak bir saðlýk kurumunun Kulak Burun Boðaz bölümünde yürütülen tek merkezli tanýmlayýcý bir çalýþmadýr.
YÖNTEM ve GEREÇLER: Hastane bilgi yönetim sisteminden 2019 ve 2020 yýllarýnýn 1 Mart - 15 Mayýs tarihleri arasýnda 18 yaþýndan büyük olgularýn poliklinik baþvurusu, hastaneye yatýþ ve kulak burun boðaz ameliyatlarý sayýlarý ile yatýþ ve ameliyat endikasyonlarýna iliþkin veriler elde edildi. Baþ ve boyun bölgesi onkolojik cerrahisi planlanan asemptomatik preoperatif hastalarýn COVID-19 test sonuçlarýna iliþkin veriler ayný sistemden elde edildi.
BULGULAR: 2020'de poliklinik baþvurularýnýn toplam sayýsýnda 2019'a göre azalma saptandý. (16814'e 7108, % 57,7). Toplam hastaneye yatýþ sayýsý (278'e 129, p <0,001) ve toplam ameliyat sayýsýndaki (231'e 111, p <0,001) azalmaya raðmen, baþ ve boyun kanserleri nedeniyle olan ameliyat ve hastaneye yatýþ sayýlarý arttý. Asemptomatik hastalarýn ameliyat öncesi 88 COVID-19 testinden biri pozitifti. Bölüm personelinden enfekte olan kiþi olmadý.
TARTIÞMA ve SONUÇ: 2020 döneminde hasta sayýsýnda azalma olmakla birlikte baþ ve boyun onkolojisine yönelik olarak uygulanan iþlemlerin niteliksel özelliklerinde artýþ olmasý, saðlýk profesyonellerinin pandemi hizmetleri için çalýþmadýðý durumlarda dahi karþý karþýya olduðu zorluk / risklerde artýþa neden olmaktadýr.