Respiratory admissions and impact of COVID-19 lockdowns for children with severe cerebral palsy

Abstract

Aim: To explore factors contributing to the burden of respiratory admissions in children with severe cerebral palsy (CP) by comparing admissions to a single tertiary paediatric hospital before, during, and after the period of social restrictions implemented to reduce transmission of COVID-19 (lockdown period). Method: For this observational study, three severe CP cohorts (pre-lockdown, lockdown, post-lockdown) were identified from a state-wide cerebral palsy register and linked to patient-level clinical and demographic data. Medical records were manually searched to identify respiratory hospitalizations. Frequency and details of admissions were compared across the three 2-year periods. Resul..