Materials and Methods
To capture epidemiological data on children with EA-TEF with concurrent
SARS-CoV-2 infection, a 24-question survey was created by the
International Network of Esophageal Atresia (INoEA). Links to this
survey were published on the Esophageal Atresia Global Support Groups,
European Reference Networks for Rare and Inherited and congenital
anomalies (ERNICA). In addition, members of INoEA were emailed survey
links. Membership of these groups consist of clinicians involved in the
care of EA-TEF patients, including gastroenterologists, surgeons and
pulmonologists and otolaryngologists.
This survey was authorised by the Ethics Committee of the CHU
Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Canada (#2020-2877), with
waiver of consent approved.
Clinicians were asked to report baseline data regarding patient age,
gender, type of EA-TEF as well as known associated cardiac
malformations, respiratory comorbidities and gastrointestinal
comorbidities and medication the patient was taking at baseline at time
of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Outcomes post infection were then recorded,
including whether the patient required hospitalization, intensive care
admission, disease complications or other treatments administered
acutely during infection
Fischer Exact Test was used to determine variables that were
significantly associated with hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2.
The survey ran from April 2020 and data was collected until April 2022.