RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A comparison of emergency department presentations for medically unexplained symptoms in frequent attenders during COVID-19
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP e399
OP e402
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2020-1093
VO 21
IS 4
A1 Natasha F Daniels
A1 Raiiq Ridwan
A1 Ed BG Barnard
A1 Talha M Amanullah
A1 Catherine Hayhurst
YR 2021
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/21/4/e399.abstract
AB Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are those with no identified organic aetiology. Our emergency department (ED) perceived an increase in MUS frequency during COVID-19. The primary aim was to compare MUS incidence in frequent attenders (FAs) during COVID-19 and a control period.A retrospective list of FA-MUS presenting to our ED from March to June 2019 (control) and March to June 2020 (during COVID-19) was compared. Fisher's exact test was used to compare binomial proportions; this presented as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).During COVID-19, ED attendances reduced by 32.7%, with a significant increase in the incidence of FA-MUS and FA-MUS ED visits compared to control; RR 1.5 (95%CI 1.1–1.8) p=0.0006, and RR 1.8 (95%CI 1.6–2.0), p<0.0001, respectively.Despite reduced ED attendances during COVID-19, there was a significant increase in the incidence of FA-MUS patients and corresponding ED visits by this cohort. This presents a challenge to ED clinicians who may feel underprepared to manage these patients effectively.