Temporal trends in hospitalizations due to infectious diseases: A comparative analysis

Abstract

Author(s): Manizhe Jozpanahi, Yasamin Zoljalali, Amir Hosein Moradi, Fatemeh Hemmati

Objective: This study aimed to examine the causes of hospitalizations in the infectious diseases department of a tertiary institutional hospital in Zanjan, Iran, during the first 6 months of 2019 and 2022, focusing on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: Medical records of 429 patients hospitalized with confirmed infectious diseases in the first 6 months of 2019 (pre-COVID) and 2022 (post- COVID) were reviewed. Data included cause of hospitalization, underlying conditions, laboratory tests, antibiotics, length of hospital stay, and mortality rates. IBM SPSS 24.0 was used for analysis, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 214 and 215 records from 2019 and 2022 were surveyed,respectively. Comparison of gender distribution between 2022 and 2019 showed a significant increase in male (61.08% vs. 52.33%) and a decrease in female (38.13% vs. 47.66%) hospitalizations (p<0.05). Respiratory tract infections were the most frequent cause of hospitalization, with pneumonia accounting for 29.9% of cases in 2019 and 21.4% in 2022 (p<0.05). The frequency of skin and soft tissue infections showed a significant increase (27% vs. 15.4%) in 2022 (p<0.05). Positive urine and blood cultures were significantly more frequent in 2022, while CRP levels and neutrophil counts were markedly higher in 2019 (p<0.05). Use of ceftriaxone, cefazolin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, and meropenem increased significantly in 2022 (p<0.05). ICU transfer and mortality rates were 3.7% and 1.4% in both periods, respectively. Conclusions: Respiratory diseases remain a major cause of hospitalization. Public education on controlling respiratory infections should be enhanced.

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