{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,1]],"date-time":"2026-11-01T08:18:16Z","timestamp":1793521096258,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,12]],"date-time":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1702339200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,12]],"date-time":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1702339200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Bern"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on complicated upper respiratory tract infections requiring surgical intervention in a tertiary referral center. The aim is to understand the consequences of pandemic-related measures and their subsequent relaxation on the incidence and characteristics of upper respiratory tract infection-related complications.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Patients who underwent surgery as a complication of upper respiratory tract infections between December 2014 to February 2023 were included. Demographic information, surgical procedures, microbiological findings, and clinical outcomes were assessed and analyzed comparing pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic groups.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>321 patients were enrolled, including 105 patients (32.7%) in the pediatric population. Comparison of pre-pandemic (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009210), pandemic (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200946) and post-pandemic periods (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200965) revealed a statistically significant increase in complicated otologic infections requiring surgical intervention in the post-pandemic period compared\u00a0to the pandemic period (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> value\u2009=\u20090.03). No statistically significant differences in other surgical procedures or demographic parameters were observed. A statistically significant increase in urgent ear surgery in the pediatric population between the pandemic and the post-pandemic period (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> value\u2009=\u20090.02) was observed. Beta-hemolytic group A streptococcal infections showed a statistically significant increase in the post-pandemic period compared with the pandemic period (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> value\u2009=\u20090.02).<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Relaxation of COVID-19-related restrictions was associated with an increase of upper respiratory tract infection-related otologic infections requiring surgical intervention with an increasing rate of beta-hemolytic group A streptococcal infections. These findings highlight the importance of considering the impact of the pandemic on upper respiratory tract infection complications and adapting management strategies accordingly.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00405-023-08349-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,12]],"date-time":"2023-12-12T08:02:12Z","timestamp":1702368132000},"page":"1581-1586","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Impact of COVID-19 pandemic: increase in complicated upper respiratory tract infections requiring ENT surgery?"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"281","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0902-5656","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonas","family":"Galli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6427-3102","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sean C.","family":"Sheppard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7090-8087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Caversaccio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6927-0664","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lukas","family":"Anschuetz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4305-2658","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sven","family":"Beckmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,12]]},"reference":[{"issue":"7809","key":"8349_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-020-2196-x","volume":"581","author":"R W\u00f6lfel","year":"2020","unstructured":"W\u00f6lfel R, Corman VM, Guggemos W et al (2020) Virological assessment of hospitalized patients with COVID-2019. 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He has not received any financial compensation for his contribution to this manuscript.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}},{"value":"Upon request to the Cantonal Ethics Committee, no ethics approval is required for this retrospective study (Req-2023-01138). In line with the Declaration of Helsinki and the Swiss Ordinance on Human Research, all patients provided written consent for research and publication.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}}]}}