Emergency abdominal surgeries remain unchanged in the COVID‐19 affected environment: A single‐center experience at a community hospital in Japan

AIM: This study assessed whether emergency abdominal surgeries were changed in the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19)‐affected environment at a community hospital in Japan, with the goal of planning and preparing hospital resources against the further spread of COVID‐19. METHODS: A total of 179 patients who underwent emergency abdominal surgery over 4 months during the pandemic (1 March, 2020 to 30 June, 2020) and a control period (1 March, 2019 to 30 June, 2019) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patient demographics, hospital visiting patterns (visit time, ambulance transport, and duration of symptom onset to hospital visit), severity of patients’ condition, and surgical characteristics were compared between the two periods. RESULTS: The number of patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery during the pandemic did not decrease in comparison to the control period (89 patients versus 90 patients). The duration of symptom onset to hospital visit during the pandemic was not prolonged compared to the control period. Other hospital visiting patterns, severity of patients’ condition, and surgical characteristics were also similar in both periods. CONCLUSION: Although the situation of the pandemic was different between countries and regions, the number of emergency surgeries in our hospital remained unchanged, and those patients visited the emergency room no later than usual.