Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study

Amalie T Jantzen; Anders Bang-Nielsen; Claus A Bertelsen; Christian Torp-Pedersen; Jakob Kleif

doi:10.1177/14574969221089387

Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study

Amalie T Jantzen, Anders Bang-Nielsen, Claus A Bertelsen, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Jakob Kleif

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

AIM: To investigate how a nationwide lockdown influences the incidence of appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: Communitive infectious diseases may play a role in the pathogenesis of appendicitis as indicated by a seasonal variation in the incidence rate. The spread of communitive infectious diseases has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown; thus, we have an opportunity to study the incidence rate of appendicitis in an environment with less impact from common community infections.

METHODS: The study is a nationwide register-based cohort study of the entire Danish population of 5.8 million. The difference in the incidence of appendicitis in a population subjugated to a controlled lockdown with social distancing (study group) was compared to a population not subjugated to a controlled lockdown and social distancing (reference group).

RESULTS: The relative risk of appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.92 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-1.03, p = 0.131). The relative risk of complicated appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49-0.93, p = 0.02). The incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis was not significantly different during the national lockdown.

CONCLUSIONS: During the national lockdown of Denmark due to the COVID-19 pandemic the incidence of complicated appendicitis was reduced significantly compared to previous years, indicating that infectious disease might be a factor in the pathogenesis of appendicitis with complications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04407117).

Original language	English
Journal	Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society
Volume	111
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	14574969221089387
ISSN	1457-4969
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/14574969221089387
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2022

Keywords

Covid-19
appendicitis
covid
lockdown
pandemic

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10.1177/14574969221089387

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Jantzen, A. T., Bang-Nielsen, A., Bertelsen, C. A., Torp-Pedersen, C., & Kleif, J. (2022). Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study. Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society, 111(2), 14574969221089387. https://doi.org/10.1177/14574969221089387

Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study. / Jantzen, Amalie T; Bang-Nielsen, Anders; Bertelsen, Claus A et al.
In: Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society, Vol. 111, No. 2, 01.05.2022, p. 14574969221089387.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Jantzen, AT, Bang-Nielsen, A, Bertelsen, CA , Torp-Pedersen, C & Kleif, J 2022, 'Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study', Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society, vol. 111, no. 2, pp. 14574969221089387. https://doi.org/10.1177/14574969221089387

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title = "Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study",

abstract = "AIM: To investigate how a nationwide lockdown influences the incidence of appendicitis.BACKGROUND: Communitive infectious diseases may play a role in the pathogenesis of appendicitis as indicated by a seasonal variation in the incidence rate. The spread of communitive infectious diseases has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown; thus, we have an opportunity to study the incidence rate of appendicitis in an environment with less impact from common community infections.METHODS: The study is a nationwide register-based cohort study of the entire Danish population of 5.8 million. The difference in the incidence of appendicitis in a population subjugated to a controlled lockdown with social distancing (study group) was compared to a population not subjugated to a controlled lockdown and social distancing (reference group).RESULTS: The relative risk of appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.92 (95\% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-1.03, p = 0.131). The relative risk of complicated appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.68 (95\% CI: 0.49-0.93, p = 0.02). The incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis was not significantly different during the national lockdown.CONCLUSIONS: During the national lockdown of Denmark due to the COVID-19 pandemic the incidence of complicated appendicitis was reduced significantly compared to previous years, indicating that infectious disease might be a factor in the pathogenesis of appendicitis with complications.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04407117).",

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T1 - Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown

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AU - Jantzen, Amalie T

AU - Bang-Nielsen, Anders

AU - Bertelsen, Claus A

AU - Torp-Pedersen, Christian

AU - Kleif, Jakob

PY - 2022/5/1

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N2 - AIM: To investigate how a nationwide lockdown influences the incidence of appendicitis.BACKGROUND: Communitive infectious diseases may play a role in the pathogenesis of appendicitis as indicated by a seasonal variation in the incidence rate. The spread of communitive infectious diseases has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown; thus, we have an opportunity to study the incidence rate of appendicitis in an environment with less impact from common community infections.METHODS: The study is a nationwide register-based cohort study of the entire Danish population of 5.8 million. The difference in the incidence of appendicitis in a population subjugated to a controlled lockdown with social distancing (study group) was compared to a population not subjugated to a controlled lockdown and social distancing (reference group).RESULTS: The relative risk of appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.92 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-1.03, p = 0.131). The relative risk of complicated appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49-0.93, p = 0.02). The incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis was not significantly different during the national lockdown.CONCLUSIONS: During the national lockdown of Denmark due to the COVID-19 pandemic the incidence of complicated appendicitis was reduced significantly compared to previous years, indicating that infectious disease might be a factor in the pathogenesis of appendicitis with complications.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04407117).

AB - AIM: To investigate how a nationwide lockdown influences the incidence of appendicitis.BACKGROUND: Communitive infectious diseases may play a role in the pathogenesis of appendicitis as indicated by a seasonal variation in the incidence rate. The spread of communitive infectious diseases has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown; thus, we have an opportunity to study the incidence rate of appendicitis in an environment with less impact from common community infections.METHODS: The study is a nationwide register-based cohort study of the entire Danish population of 5.8 million. The difference in the incidence of appendicitis in a population subjugated to a controlled lockdown with social distancing (study group) was compared to a population not subjugated to a controlled lockdown and social distancing (reference group).RESULTS: The relative risk of appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.92 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-1.03, p = 0.131). The relative risk of complicated appendicitis during the lockdown was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49-0.93, p = 0.02). The incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis was not significantly different during the national lockdown.CONCLUSIONS: During the national lockdown of Denmark due to the COVID-19 pandemic the incidence of complicated appendicitis was reduced significantly compared to previous years, indicating that infectious disease might be a factor in the pathogenesis of appendicitis with complications.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04407117).

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JO - Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society

JF - Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society

IS - 2

ER -

Incidence of appendicitis during COVID-19 lockdown: A nationwide population-based study

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