Abstract:
Background: Intussusception is the invagination of one part of the intestine into the other; 20% patients with intussusception experience viral infections prior to symptom onset. Infectious diseases have decreased because of social distancing during the (COVID-19) pandemic. This study investigated whether a decrease in the incidence of infectious diseases influenced the incidence of intussusception.
Study Design: Patients aged 0–18 years diagnosed with intussusception between January 2016 and December 2021 were identified. Two cohorts, nationwide and Daegu, were formed. The monthly incidence of intussusception per 100,000 people before and after COVID-19 was compared using IBM SPSS Statistics 27 and an independent sample t-test.
Results: The mean monthly incidence nationwide was 4.54±0.84 and 2.13±0.45 before and after COVID-19, and 36±0.56 and 0.94±0.30 patients received treatment for intussusception before and after COVID-19, respectively (p<0.001). In Daegu, 3.97±1.23 and 1.77±0.75 patients were diagnosed with intussusception before and after COVID-19, and 2.19±0.95 and 0.76±0.45 patients received treatment before and after COVID-19, respectively (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant decrease in the incidence of intussusception in both cohorts.
Conclusion: A decrease in the incidence of intussusception nationwide and in Daegu occurred after social distancing was implemented; hence, a causal relationship between the two can be inferred. There was a decrease in the spread of infectious diseases because of social distancing, which led to a subsequent decrease in the incidence of intussusception. The association between social distancing and intussusception can be further elucidated by conducting large-scale studies investigating trends if COVID-19 becomes endemic.
Keywords: intussusception, children, coronavirus disease, social distancing, Incidence.
