TY  - JOUR
TI  - How were Non-COVID pulmonary patients and diseasesaffected from COVID-19 pandemic period?
AB  - JECTIVE: This study aimed to focus on non-COVID-19 patients during the process when all physicians focused on COVID-19 patients.Patients with pulmonary diseases in the COVID-19 pandemic period were analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Non-COVID-19 cases who were hospitalized in the pulmonology clinic, outpatients, and patients whoapplied to the non-COVID-19 emergency service and requested a pulmonology consultation in the period from March 16, 2020 to May15, 2020 and in the same period of the previous year (i.e., from March 16, 2019 to May 15, 2019) were included in this study. RESULTS: In the pandemic period, it was found that there was an 84% decrease in outpatient admissions, a 43% decrease in inpatients,and a 75% decrease in emergency services. During the pandemic period, in outpatient setting, male and younger case admissions in creased, admissions with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung diseases decreased, whereas the frequencyof admission to asthma, pneumonia, and pulmonary thromboembolism increased. In the period of the pandemic, patients with asthma,COPD, and lung cancer were less hospitalized, whereas patients with pulmonary thromboembolism, pneumonia, and pleural effusionwere hospitalized more. In non-COVID-19 patient treatments during the pandemic period, usage of a metered dose inhaler increased.CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-COVID pulmonary pathologies decreased significantly, and there was a changein the profile of the patients. From now on, to be prepared for pandemic and similar extraordinary situations, to organize hospitals for theepidemic, to determine health institutions to which nonepidemic patients can apply, to make necessary plans in order not to neglect thenonepidemic patients, and to develop digital health service methods, especially telemedicine, would be appropriate.
AU  - Uyar, Nezihe
AU  - İTİL, Oya
AU  - Demirci Atik, Merve
AU  - Güler, Nurcan
AU  - Tertemiz, Kemal Can
AU  - Uçan, Eyüp Sabri
AU  - Coskun, Figen
AU  - ULUSOY, Mustafa
AU  - CİMRİN, Arif Hikmet
AU  - Ellidokuz, Hülya
AU  - Sevinc, Can
DO  - 10.5152/TurkThoracJ.2021.20249
PY  - 2021
JO  - Turkish Thoracic Journal
VL  - 22
IS  - 2
SN  - 2149-2530
SP  - 149
EP  - 153
DB  - TRDizin
UR  - http://search/yayin/detay/468001
ER  -