Objectives
To compare the number of patients attending the Urology Emergency Department (ED) of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto (CHUP), as well as their demographic characteristics, the reasons for admission, the clinical severity under the Manchester triage system (MTS), and the need for emergency surgery or hospitalisation, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic and the equivalent period in 2019.
Patients and methods
Data were collected from patients attending the Urology ED of the CHUP over 3 weeks, from 11 March to 1 April 2020, and from the same period in the previous year (from 11 March to 1 April 2019).
Results
During the pandemic, 46.4% fewer patients visited our urological ED (122 vs 263). There was no significant difference in the mean age or the number of old patients (aged ≥65 years) between the two periods. However, significantly fewer female patients sought emergency urological services during the COVID‐19 pandemic period (32.7% vs 14.8%, P < 0.05). No significant differences were noted between different clinical severity groups under the MTS. In 2019, significantly less patients required hospitalisation. The most common reasons for admission, during both periods, were haematuria, renal colic and urinary tract infections. The authors recognise that the study has several limitations, namely, those inherent to its retrospective nature.
Conclusion
COVID‐19 significantly influenced people’s urological care‐seeking behaviour. Understanding the present situation is helpful for predicting future urological needs. Based on the results of this study, we have reason to speculate that people’s requirements for urological services might grow explosively in the post‐COVID‐19 period. There should be further studies about the real state of long‐term urological services and the consequences that this pandemic may have in terms of morbimortality not directly related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Introduction
The aim of this article was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urology residency.
Material and methods
A 30 question online survey was sent to all urology residents in Portugal between the 25
th
of April and the 25
th
of May 2020. Reduction in different areas of clinical activity during the COVID-19 period were evaluated and their perceived impact on their residency program was quantified.
Results
Forty-three (54.4%) Portuguese urology residents responded to our inquiry. Eighty-one percent report having supressed their activity by more than 75% in the outpatient clinic; 48.8% in diagnostic procedures; 29.3% in endoscopic surgery; 67.5% in laparoscopic/robotic surgery and 17.5% in major open surgery. There were no differences in clinical activity reduction across residency years. Considering the impact of COVID-19 on urology training programs, 32.6% plan on prolonging residency. During the COVID-19 period, a larger number of residents report having spent more time developing research projects or on continuing medical education, as compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (p = 0.012).
Conclusions
COVID-19 had a major impact on Urology residency in Portugal, with major short- and long-term consequences. A large proportion of residents are considering prolonging their residency as a result.
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