Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32642834›Full record

ArticleActa neurochirurgica2020

A snapshot of European neurosurgery December 2019 vs. March 2020: just before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

T Mathiesen, M Arraez, T Asser, N Balak, S Barazi, C Bernucci, C Bolger, M L D Broekman, A K Demetriades, Z Feldman and 17 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Acta neurochirurgica, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Observational
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  9. Machine Learning and Ethics.Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

T MathiesenDepartment of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. Tiit.illimar.mathiesen@regionh.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9463-1919
M ArraezDepartment of Neurosurgery, Carlos Haya University Hospital,, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
T AsserUniversity of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
N BalakDepartment of Neurosurgery, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Göztepe Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
S BaraziKing's College Hospital, London, UK.
C BernucciDepartment of Neuroscience and Surgery of the Nervous System, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy.
C BolgerNational Centre for Neurosurgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
M L D BroekmanDepartments of Neurosurgery, Haaglanden Medical Center and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands.
A K DemetriadesDepartment of Neurosurgery, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
Z FeldmanDepartment of Neurosurgery, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.
M M FontanellaNeurosurgery, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
N ForoglouDepartment of Neurosurgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
J LafuenteNeurosurgery, Hospital Del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
A D MaierDepartment of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
B MeyerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany.
M NiemeläHelsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
P H RocheDepartment of Neurosurgery, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
F SalaSection of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University Hospital, Verona, Italy.
N SamprónServicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain.
U SandvikDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
K SchallerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Medical Center & Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
C ThomeDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
M ThysNeurosciences Department, Grand Hopital de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium.
M TisellDepartment of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
P VajkoczyDepartment of Neurosurgery, Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
M VisocchiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy.
EANS Ethico-legal committee

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19), which began as an epidemic in China and spread globally as a pandemic, has necessitated resource management to meet emergency needs of Covid-19 patients and other emergent cases. We have conducted a survey to analyze caseload and measures to adapt indications for a perception of crisis.

methodsWe constructed a questionnaire to survey a snapshot of neurosurgical activity, resources, and indications during 1 week with usual activity in December 2019 and 1 week during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in March 2020. The questionnaire was sent to 34 neurosurgical departments in Europe; 25 departments returned responses within 5 days.

resultsWe found unexpectedly large differences in resources and indications already before the pandemic. Differences were also large in how much practice and resources changed during the pandemic. Neurosurgical beds and neuro-intensive care beds were significantly decreased from December 2019 to March 2020. The utilization of resources decreased via less demand for care of brain injuries and subarachnoid hemorrhage, postponing surgery and changed surgical indications as a method of rationing resources. Twenty departments (80%) reduced activity extensively, and the same proportion stated that they were no longer able to provide care according to legitimate medical needs.

conclusionNeurosurgical centers responded swiftly and effectively to a sudden decrease of neurosurgical capacity due to relocation of resources to pandemic care. The pandemic led to rationing of neurosurgical care in 80% of responding centers. We saw a relation between resources before the pandemic and ability to uphold neurosurgical services. The observation of extensive differences of available beds provided an opportunity to show how resources that had been restricted already under normal conditions translated to rationing of care that may not be acceptable to the public of seemingly affluent European countries.

Indexed as

Coronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19EuropeHealth ResourcesHealth Services Needs and DemandHumansIntensive Care UnitsNeurosurgical ProceduresPandemicsPneumonia, ViralSurgery Department, HospitalSurveys and QuestionnairesCovid-19EpidemicEuropeHealthcare managementNeurosurgeryPandemicSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID32642834
PMCPMC7343382

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.