Open AccessThe impact of COVID-19 epidemiological restriction guidelines measures in a Croatian tertiary colorectal cancer center
Author(s) -
Iva Kirac,
Zvonimir Misir,
Vesna Vorih,
Loris Ćurt,
Mario Šekerija,
Nataša Antoljak
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
libri oncologici
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.189
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 2584-3826
pISSN - 0300-8142
DOI - 10.20471/lo.2020.48.02-03.08
Subject(s) - medicine , colorectal cancer , colonoscopy , epidemiology , covid-19 , colorectal surgery , general surgery , croatian , university hospital , cancer , disease , linguistics , philosophy , infectious disease (medical specialty) , abdominal surgery
Background: In the past six months, Croatia faced a short lockdown and a slow return to most hospitals’ everyday activities. During the lockdown, our center, as a part of the University Hospital Centre specialized for solid cancer, was enabled to maintain most of the routine practices with the one-month colonoscopy exception. Aim: To determine the oscillation in the number of endoscopies and colorectal surgery for 13 months (six months pre and post COVID-19 lockdown). Materials and methods: From August 1st, 2019, until August 31st 2020, the hospital analytics determine the number of colonoscopies, screening colonoscopies, and surgeries. Results: During the given period number of detected and operated colorectal cancers was stable, except for April, when we mostly did not perform colonoscopies. Conclusion: We maintained a pre-COVID-19 pace in colorectal cancer treatment, colonoscopies, and colorectal surgery after epidemiological guidelines for colonoscopies and colorectal surgery were applied, owing to the relatively stable overall epidemiological situation.