%0 Journal Article %T Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patient Attendance and Trends in the Use of Medical Imaging Modalities in a Referral Hospital in the City of Douala, Cameroon %A Yannick Onana %A Joshua Tambe %A Mohamadou Aminou %A Samuel MbozoˇŻo Mvondo %A Francis Ateba Ndongo %A Jean Claude Mballa Amougou %A Jeremie Mbo Amvene %A Mathurin Neossi Guena %A Harvey Onana %A Boniface Moifo %A Emile Telesphore Mboudou %J Open Journal of Medical Imaging %P 16-24 %@ 2164-2796 %D 2022 %I Scientific Research Publishing %R 10.4236/ojmi.2022.121003 %X Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a massive influx of patients with suspected or confirmed flu to hospitals, paradoxically leading to a decrease in the attendance for some services. This study aspired to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the attendance of patients at the Radiology and Medical Imaging Department of a tertiary hospital in Douala, Cameroon. Materials and Methods: This was an observational, retrospective and descriptive hospital-based study. Data on patient attendance was extracted from the medical records at the Radiology Unit of Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (DGOPH) between the 1st of March 2019 and the 30th of August 2021. Results: There was a drop in the number of sonographies and conventional radiographies by 25.73% and 18.26% respectively during the peaks pandemic period of 2020 compared to the preceding pre-pandemic era (2019). There was a recovery in 2021 as the numbers increased. Computed tomography studies increased by 40.65% during the peak pandemic period of 2020. Conclusion: This study enables us to understand the health-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in CT utilization during the peak period of the pandemic nevertheless required caution in order to ensure safety and to promote rational cost-effective utilization. %K COVID-19 %K Impact %K Imaging Trends %K Radiology Department %K Douala %U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=116003