Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Italian Otolaryngology Units: a nationwide study

Giuditta Mannelli; Massimo Ralli; Marco Bonali; Pasquale Capasso; Pierre Guarino; Valeria Iannini; Niccolò Mevio; Gennaro Russo; Alfonso Scarpa; Giacomo Spinato; Davide Topazio; Gabriele Molteni

doi:10.14639/0392-100X-N0832

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Italian Otolaryngology Units: a nationwide study

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2020 Oct;40(5):325-331. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N0832. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Authors

Giuditta Mannelli^{1

2}, Massimo Ralli^{1

3}, Marco Bonali^{1

4}, Pasquale Capasso^{1

5}, Pierre Guarino^{1

6}, Valeria Iannini^{1

7}, Niccolò Mevio^{1

8}, Gennaro Russo^{1

5}, Alfonso Scarpa^{1

9}, Giacomo Spinato^{1

10}, Davide Topazio^{1

11}, Gabriele Molteni^{1

12}

Affiliations

¹ COVID-19 Task Force of the Young Otolaryngologists of the Italian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
² Head and Neck Oncology and Robotic Surgery, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.
³ Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
⁴ Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of Modena, Italy.
⁵ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Unit AO dei Colli, Monaldi Hospital, Napoli, Italy.
⁶ Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Unit "Santo Spirito" Hospital of Pescara, Italy.
⁷ Otolaryngology Department, Dipartimento Strutturale Ospedaliero Chirurgico di Rovigo ULSS 5, Rovigo, Italy.
⁸ Department of Otolaryngology Niguarda Hospital, Milano, Italy.
⁹ Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Neurosciences, Section of Otolaryngology and Regional Centre for Head and Neck Cancer, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy - Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Section of Oncology and Immunology, University of Padova, Italy.
¹¹ Otolaryngology Department, Ospedale Mazzini, Teramo, Italy.
¹² Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Verona Borgo Trento, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, Italy.

Abstract
in English, Italian

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide an accurate picture of the changes which have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the contributions given by Italian Otolaryngology Units.

Methods: A 29-item questionnaire was completed and returned by 154 Otorhinolaryngology Units across Italy that investigated geographic distribution, the main changes which occurred in workload management and in clinical and surgical activities and screening procedures for COVID-19 in healthcare personnel and patients.

Results: Nearly half of the Otolaryngology Units that responded to the questionnaire were merged with other units, while 22% were converted into COVID-19 units or temporarily closed. A reduction of 8.55% in the number of team members was reported, and about 50% of the units applied uniform work shifts for all staff. Elective activities were uniformly stopped or delayed, passing from 30,295 (pre-COVID data) to 5,684 (COVID data) weekly procedures, with a mean decrease of 81.24% (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Most of the elective otolaryngology activities were suspended during the pandemic; the only procedures were for oncology and emergency patients. Italian Otolaryngologists have demonstrated a high availability to collaborate with non-surgical colleagues.

Impatto della pandemia COVID-19 sulle Unità Operative di Otorinolaringoiatria in Italia: uno studio nazionale.

Obiettivo: Fornire un quadro accurato dei cambiamenti che si sono verificati e dei contributi forniti dalle Unità di Otorinolaringoiatria italiane durante la pandemia COVID-19.

Metodi: Un questionario di 29 domande è stato completato da 154 unità. Sono stati investigati la distribuzione geografica del loro coinvolgimento, i cambiamenti di gestione del carico di lavoro e delle attività clinico-chirurgiche e le procedure di screening applicate su personale sanitario e pazienti.

Risultati: Quasi la metà delle Unità che hanno risposto sono state fuse con altre unità operative, mentre il 22% è stato convertito in unità COVID-19 o temporaneamente chiuso. È stata segnalata una riduzione dell’8,55% nel numero dei membri del gruppo di lavoro e circa il 50% dei dipartimenti ha applicato turni di lavoro per tutto il personale. Tutte le attività elettive sono state uniformemente interrotte o ritardate, passando da 30.295 (dati pre-COVID) a 5.684 (dati COVID) procedure settimanali, con una diminuzione media dell’81,24% (p < 0,001).

Conclusioni: La maggior parte delle attività elettive in otorinolaringoiatria, a parte le procedure oncologiche e di emergenza, sono state sospese. Gli otorinolaringoiatri italiani hanno dimostrato un’alta disponibilità a collaborare con i reparti di medicina.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; otolaryngology; pandemic.

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / diagnosis
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
Humans
Infection Control / organization & administration*
Italy / epidemiology
Mass Screening / organization & administration
Otolaryngology*
Pandemics
Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / trends
Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
Workload

Abstract in English, Italian

MeSH terms

Abstract
in English, Italian