Multicenter study of US trauma centers examining the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injury causes, diagnoses and procedures

Salottolo, Kristin; Caiafa, Rachel; Mueller, J.; Tanner, Allen; Carrick, Matthew M.; Lieser, Mark; Berg, Gina M.; Bar‐Or, David

doi:10.1136/tsaco-2020-000655

Cited by 41 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Number of RTC presentation reduced by 48% [ 60 ] USA Les Angeles County trauma center − 2 NA Trauma decreased with fewer motor vehicle collisions [ 128 ] Multicenter study of US trauma centers − 11 − 27 Overall, trauma admission was reduced by 11%. There was a decrease in number of RTC admission by 27% [ 129 ] UC Davis Medical Center NA − 38 38% reduction in motor-vehicle injury [ 47 ] McLaren Oakland Hospital (MOH) in Pontiac, MI − 45 *2020 versus March–April 2016–2019 − 46 Overall, trauma admission reduced by 45%. There was a decrease in RTC admission by − 46% [ 107 ] Portsmouth Regional Hospital − 57 *February–April 2020 versus 2017–2019 − 81 *February–April 2020 versus 2017–2019 Overall, trauma admission was reduced by − 57%.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on road traffic collisions

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Various strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 including lockdown and stay-at-home order are expected to reduce road traffic characteristics and consequently road traffic collisions (RTCs). We aimed to review the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence, patterns, and severity of the injury, management, and outcomes of RTCs and give recommendations on improving road safety during this pandemic. Methods We conducted a narrative review on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on RTCs published in English language using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar with no date restriction. Google search engine and websites were also used to retrieve relevant published literature, including discussion papers, reports, and media news. Papers were critically read and data were summarized and combined. Results Traffic volume dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic which was associated with significant drop in RTCs globally and a reduction of road deaths in 32 out of 36 countries in April 2020 compared with April 2019, with a decrease of 50% or more in 12 countries, 25 to 49% in 14 countries, and by less than 25% in six countries. Similarly, there was a decrease in annual road death in 33 out of 42 countries in 2020 compared with 2019, with a reduction of 25% or more in 5 countries, 15–24% in 13 countries, and by less than 15% in 15 countries. In contrast, the opposite occurred in four and nine countries during the periods, respectively. There was also a drop in the number of admitted patients in trauma centers related to RTCs during both periods. This has been attributed to an increase in speeding, emptier traffic lanes, reduced law enforcement, not wearing seat belts, and alcohol and drug abuse. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has generally reduced the overall absolute numbers of RTCs, and their deaths and injuries despite the relative increase of severity of injury and death. The most important factors that affected the RTCs are decreased mobility with empty lines, reduced crowding, and increased speeding. Our findings serve as a baseline for injury prevention in the current and future pandemics.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on road traffic collisions

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The reported reduction of the incidence of RTCs varied in different studies. Although some studies reported a reduction in the incidence [12][13][14], others found that it did not change [15][16]. Similarly, the incidence of bicycle injuries in other studies varied depending on whether the use of bicycles was encouraged as the preferred mode of exercise/transport during the Pandemic [14,[17][18][19][20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Road Traffic Collision Injury Patterns and Severity in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates

Yasin

Alao

Grivna

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns restricted human and traffic mobility impacting the patterns and severity of road traffic collisions (RTCs). We aimed to study the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on incidence, patterns, severity of the injury, and outcomes of hospitalized RTCs trauma patients in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates. Methods: We compared the data of two cohorts of patients which were collected over two periods; the pandemic period (28 March 2020 to 27 March 202) and the pre-pandemic period (28 March 2019 to 27 March 2020). All RTCs trauma patients who were hospitalized in the two major trauma centers (Al-Ain and Tawam Hospitals) of Al-Ain City were studied. Results: Overall, the incidence of hospitalized RTC trauma patients significantly reduced by 33.5% during the Pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period. The mechanism of injury was significantly different between the two periods (p< 0.0001, Fisher’s Exact test). MVCs were less during the Pandemic (60.5% compared with 72%), while motorcycle injuries were more (23.3 % compared with 11.2 %). The mortality of hospitalized RTC patients was significantly higher during the Pandemic (4.4 % compared with 2.3 %, p=0.045, Fisher’s Exact test). Conclusions: Our study has shown that the numbers of hospitalized RTC trauma patients reduced by 33.5% during the COVID-19 Pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period in our setting. This was attributed to the reduced motor vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle injuries while motorcycle injuries increased. Mortality was significantly higher during the Pandemic, which was attributed to increased ISS and reduced GCS.

show abstract

“…In a study by Wähnert et al [ 13 ], the changes of trauma patient numbers were most pronounced in smaller trauma centres, whereas level I trauma centres even observed a slight increase of emergency cases. Furthermore, for some causes of accidents (assaults, self-inflicted injuries, and injuries associated with home improvement projects), no significant changes or even an increased incidence was described [ 14 ]. The authors of the aforementioned studies uniformly concluded that, although the number of trauma patients decreased in the exceptional state of the pandemic, there is still a significant need for functioning structures for the care of trauma patients, as their numbers still remains high.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trauma patients with SARS-CoV-2 in German ICUs during the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Hamsen

Waydhas

Bayer

et al. 2021

Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose In January and February 2021, about 4000 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive patients were treated daily in German intensive care units (ICUs). The number of SARS-CoV-2-positive ICU patients with trauma, however, is not known and neither whether the trauma itself or COVID-19 causes the critical illness. Methods A total of 173 German ICUs, representing 3068 ICU beds, participated in a survey developed by the Trauma Section of the German Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive Care Medicine (DIVI). Results Participating ICUs reported an overall 1-day prevalence of 20 and an overall 7-day prevalence of 35 SARS-CoV-2-positive trauma patients in the ICU. Critical illness was triggered by trauma alone in 50% of cases and by the combination of trauma and COVID-19 in 49% of cases; 70% of patients were older than 65 years and suffered from a single injury, predominantly proximal femur fractures. The distribution of patients was comparable regarding the level of care of the trauma centre (local, regional, and supra-regional). Conclusion The proportion of trauma patients of all SARS-CoV-2-positive critically ill patients is small (~ 1%) but relevant. There is no concentration of these patients at Level 1 trauma centres. However, the traumatic insult is the most relevant cause for ICU treatment in most of these patients. Regarding a new wave of the pandemic, adequate trauma dedicated resources and perioperative structures and expertise have to be provided for COVID-19 trauma patients.

show abstract

Multicenter study of US trauma centers examining the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injury causes, diagnoses and procedures

Cited by 41 publications

References 34 publications

Global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on road traffic collisions

Global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on road traffic collisions

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Road Traffic Collision Injury Patterns and Severity in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates

Trauma patients with SARS-CoV-2 in German ICUs during the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About