ISSN: 2639-2038
Authors: Fouda JC*, Mekeme Mekeme JB, Owon'Abessolo PF, Biyouma M, Epoupa Ngalle FG, Nwaha Makon AS, Mbouche LO, Beling A, Ngongang CA, Etobe C, Mayopa DC, Mekeme Yon M, Mbassi AA, Fouda PJ and Essomba A
Introduction: The measures imposed by the health crisis caused by COVID-19 are unprecedented. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the reorganization of many health systems. As a result of this pandemic, urological surgical activity has been strongly impacted. Cameroon is one of the African countries with a high rate of infection and given the absence of studies on the subject in the country, it was decided to study the epidemiological profile of the urology and Andrology department of the Yaoundé Central Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This was an observational, retrospective and monocentric study that took place in the Urology and Andrology Department of the Yaounde Central Hospital over a three-year period from 2019 to 2021. All patients admitted to the Urology and Andrology Department of the Yaounde Central Hospital were included in the study, regardless of their pathology during the study period. Three groups of patients were collected, the first group consisting of records of patients admitted in 2019, the second group of records of patients admitted during the year 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the third group of records of patients admitted in the year 2021. The data collected were studied with the spss 20 software. Results: A total of 429 patient records were collected, including 145 (33.8%) in the first group, 128 (29.8%) in the second group and 156 (36.4%) in the third group. The average age of the patients was 48±27 years in the first group, 47±24 years in the second group and 47±26 years in the third group. The rate of hospitalized children decreased slightly with the pandemic while the rate of hospitalized adults decreased more in 2021. Patients from the central and western regions were the most common populations. Civil servants were the most common occupation during the pandemic in COVID 19. In this study, surgical activity and especially elective surgery remained the most important part of the hospital practice despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate of elective surgery has increased over time, while the rate of urological emergencies has decreased. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the rate of patients coming to consultation. The average age was similar in all three periods. The majority of patients admitted to hospital were civil servants from the central and western regions. Elective surgery remained the most common in all three periods while urological emergencies decreased.
Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Surgery; Inpatients
