Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35627428›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022

Patients with Musculoskeletal Disorders Presenting to the Emergency Department: The COVID-19 Lesson.

Gianluigi Pasta, Alberto Polizzi, Salvatore Annunziata, Catherine Klersy, Lorenzo Fenech, Mohammad Reza Dermenaki Farahani, Matteo Ghiara, Alberto Castelli, Eugenio Jannelli, Federico Alberto Grassi and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

11 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Gianluigi PastaDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Alberto PolizziDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8550-1001
Salvatore AnnunziataDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3850-2156
Catherine KlersyUnit of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Lorenzo FenechCentre for Research in Health and Social Care Management (CERGAS), SDA Bocconi, 20136 Milan, Italy.
Mohammad Reza Dermenaki FarahaniDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Matteo GhiaraDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Alberto CastelliDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Eugenio JannelliMultidisciplinary Department of Medico-Surgical and Dentistry Specialties, Luigi Vanvitelli, University of Campania, 80138 Naples, Italy.
Federico Alberto GrassiDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Mario MosconiDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
University of Pavia · ITBocconi University · ITPoliclinico San Matteo Fondazione · ITUniversity of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs) are the most common class of complaints among patients presenting for care in the Emergency Department (ED). There is a non-urgent patient population with musculoskeletal complaints attending ED services that creates a burgeoning waiting list and contributes to overcrowding in Emergency Departments (EDs), which is a major concern worldwide. The recent (Coronavirus disease-19) COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge that is revealing the structural and situational strengths and weaknesses of healthcare systems.

methodsThis study retrospectively and prospectively assessed patients presenting to the Emergency Department before and after the COVID-19 outbreak (from 21 February 2019 to 3 May 2019 and from 21 February 2020 to 3 May 2020) with non-traumatic or low-severity musculoskeletal conditions to test the hypothesis that these patients should have access to care outside the ED and that the COVID-19 outbreak has changed patients' care and health perception.

resultsA total of 613 patients were identified, and 542 of them (87.56%) participated in a personalized survey. From this number, 81.73% of the total accesses took place in 2019, and only 18.27% of the accesses took place during the first outbreak and lockdown. More than 90% of patients admitted to the ED accessed care during the day shift in both periods. A total of 87.30% of patients presenting to the ED with a MSKD followed their general practitioner's (GP) advice/referral in 2019, and 73.87% did so in 2020. The differences in the means of transport to the ED was statistically significant (

conclusionsThe outbreak and lockdown period confirmed that there is an inappropriate use of the ED related to patients with MSKD. However, the ED appears to be the only available solution for these patients. New services and pathways are therefore needed to enhance MSKD management and reduce ED crowding. Additional observational studies shall be developed to confirm and compare our findings with those of various EDs. The main limit of the inferential part of the study is probably due to the small sample of patients in 2020.

Indexed as

COVID-19Musculoskeletal DiseasesCommunicable Disease ControlEmergency Service, HospitalHumansPandemicsRetrospective Studiescoronavirus outbreakCOVID-19emergency departmentmusculoskeletal disorders

Identifiers

PMID35627428
PMCPMC9140523
OpenAlexW4280492219

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.