Korean J Gastroenterol.  2023 Nov;82(5):239-247. 10.4166/kjg.2023.102.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Performance of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

• Kim YK
• Park SB
• Lee M
• Youn JY
• Kwak MS
• Cha JM

• KMID: 2548494
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2023.102

Abstract

Background/Aims
Non-time-sensitive gastrointestinal endoscopy was deferred because of the risk of exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but no population-based studies have quantified the adverse impact on gastrointestinal procedures. This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy, ERCP, and abdominal ultrasonography (US) in South Korea.
Methods
This nationwide, population-based study compared the claim data of EGD, colonoscopy, ERCP, and abdominal US in 2020 and 2021 (COVID-19 era) with those in 2019 (before the COVID-19 era).
Results
During the first year (2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual claim data of EGD and colonoscopy were reduced by 6.3% and 6.9%, respectively, but those of ERCP and abdominal US were increased by 1.0% and 2.9%, compared to those in 2019. During the first surge (March and April 2020) of COVID-19, the monthly claim data of EGD, colonoscopy, ERCP, and abdominal US were reduced by 28.8%, 43.8%, 5.1%, and 21.6%, respectively, in March 2020, and also reduced by 17.2%, 32.8%, 4.4%, and 9.5%, respectively, in April 2020, compared to those in March and April 2019. During March and April 2020, the monthly claims of ERCP, compared with those in 2019, declined less significantly than those of EGD and colonoscopy (both p<0.001).
Conclusions
The claims of EGD and colonoscopy were reduced more significantly than those of ERCP and abdominal US during the COVID-19 pandemic because ERCPs are time-sensitive procedures and abdominal USs are non-aerosolized procedures.

Keyword

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy; Colonoscopy; COVID-19; ERCP; Ultrasonography

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The monthly claim data of EGD was reduced dramatically on the 1st epidemic wave and less affected on the 2nd–4th epidemic waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. EGD, esophagogastroduodenoscopy; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

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  Fig. 2 The monthly claim data of colonoscopy was reduced dramatically on the 1st epidemic wave and less affected on the 2nd-4th epidemic waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

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  Fig. 3 The monthly claim data of ERCP was relatively unaffected by the 1st–4th epidemic waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

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  Fig. 4 The monthly claim data of abdominal US was reduced dramatically on the 1st epidemic wave and less affected on the 2nd–4th epidemic waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; US, ultrasonography.

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