Child protection concern in patients during the COVID-19 lockdown.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, social isolation from school closures and home visitation restrictions compounded known risk factors for child maltreatment. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence and types of child protection concern (CPC) among inpatients during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to the matched timeframe in 2019. We retrospectively reviewed the CPC assessments performed at Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and Tallaght from March 13 to August 31, 2020, and the same period in 2019.

Discharge outcomes among elderly patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery: registry study of discharge data from Irish public hospitals.

Background: Intra-abdominal emergency surgery is associated with high mortality risk and long length of hospital stay. The objective of this study was to explore variations in surgery rates, the relationship between admission source and discharge destination, and whether the postoperative length of stay was related to nursing home capacity in Irish counties.

Methods: Data on emergency hospital episodes for 2014-18 for patients aged over 65 years with a primary abdominal procedure code were obtained from the National Quality Assurance Improvement System.