わが国の小児感染症の流行の観点から考察した当院の小児手術の感染症による中止率

The Relationship Between Annual Pediatric Surgery Cancellation Rates and the Prevalence of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Before, During, and After the COVID Pandemic

要旨

　わが国の小児の感染症患者数は，新型コロナウイルス感染症の流行当初に感染対策の強化や社会経済活動の抑制のため減少したが，近年急増している。一方，当院の小児手術の感染症による中止率も流行前6.1％に対して，2020年度3.9％（P＜0.05）に低下したが2023年度9.8％（P＜0.01）へ上昇した。当院の小児手術の感染症による中止率はわが国の小児の感染症患者数の動向に連動している可能性が示唆された。

　We retrospectively analyzed our hospital’s pediatric surgeries that were canceled due to infectious diseases during the years 2018-2023 and investigated whether the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in Japan affected this cancellation rate. We obtained the case records of the patients aged≤12 years who had been scheduled for elective surgery from their medical records, and we then determined the causes of surgery cancellations and the annual cancellation rates. Compared to the pre-outbreak annual cancellation rates in 2018 and 2019, the corresponding rates in 2020 and 2021 were significantly decreased and no significant difference was observedin 2022. In 2023, when the COVID social measures（including infection control）in Japan had all been lifted, the surgery cancellation rate increased significantly, and respiratory infectious diseases were the most common cause. Similarly, the prevalence of various infectious diseases in Japanese children, which had declined during the outbreak, increased thereafter. Our analyses revealed a relationship between the pediatric surgery cancellation rates at our institution and the trend of pediatric infectious diseases.