Comparison of patients undergoing immediate operative management with laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis in the COVID-19 era and among historical controls
| Historical controls (n=44) | COVID-19 era (n=48) | P value | |
| Age (median (IQR)) | 29 (23, 43) | 31 (25, 42) | 0.69 |
| Male sex (%) | 20 (45.5) | 29 (60.4) | 0.22 |
| Perforated (%) | 5 (11.4) | 6 (12.5) | 1.00 |
| Payor (%) | 0.10 | ||
| Private | 15 (34.1) | 25 (52.1) | |
| Medicaid | 12 (27.3) | 8 (16.7) | |
| Medicare | 3 (6.8) | 2 (4.2) | |
| Other public | 6 (13.6) | 1 (2.1) | |
| Self-pay | 8 (18.2) | 12 (25.0) | |
| Time to COVID-19 test result, hours (median (IQR)) | – | 7.4 (5.8, 13.1) | – |
| Time from presentation to EGS consult, hours (median (IQR)) | 2.3 (1.7, 3.0) | 2.5 (1.0, 2.9) | 0.83 |
| Time from presentation to case request, hours (median (IQR)) | 3.9 (2.6, 4.8) | 3.8 (2.9, 4.8) | 0.97 |
| Time from case request to OR, hours (median (IQR)) | 1.9 (1.4, 3.3) | 12.5 (7.3, 16.2) | <0.001 |
| Time from presentation to OR, hours (median (IQR)) | 6.2 (4.7, 7.5) | 16.3 (11.5, 20.0) | <0.001 |
| Time from OR to discharge (median (IQR)) | 5.6 (4.1, 15.0) | 5.2 (3.6, 21.5) | 0.79 |
| Direct transfer from ED to OR without inpatient admission (%) | 29 (65.9) | 7 (14.6) | <0.001 |
| PACU discharge (%) | 28 (63.6) | 28 (58.3) | 0.76 |
ED, emergency department; EGS, emergency general surgery; OR, operating room; PACU, postoperative care unit.