Investigation on situation of digestive endoscopy in 27 grade Ⅲ level A hospitals in Hebei Province during the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Objective To explore the impact of outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on diagnosis and treatment works of digestive endoscopy in hospitals in Hebei Province. Methods A questionnaire survey was carried out in 27 grade Ⅲ level A hospitals in Hebei Province, and sitiation and change of digestive endoscopy works were compared between outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 from January 1 to April 10, 2020 and the same period in 2019. Results During the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019, the total amount of endoscopy examinations decreased by 46.0% in 2020, the amount of endoscopic treatment decreased by 40.9%, and the most obvious reduction was observed in February. The total number of emergency gastroscopy diagnosis and treatment decreased, but the proportion of emergency gastroscopy in all the endoscopy examinations increased significantly when compared with that in the same period in 2019(2.0% vs. 1.8%, P<0.05). During the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019, the proportion of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)in all the endoscopy treatment increased significantly when compared with that in the same period in 2019(14.8% vs. 11.4%, P<0.05). Conclusion During the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019, the amounts of digestive endoscopy examinations and treatment in Hebei Province decrease significantly when compared with those in same period in 2019, but the proportions of emergency gastroscopy and ERCP increase year-by-year, which greatly ensures the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients with digestive tract diseases, and provides a decision-making reference for national medical emergency management in the future.