Trends in upper extremity injuries presenting to emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: During the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, there were substantial changes in United States (U.S.) emergency department (ED) volumes and acuity of patient presentation compared to more recent years. Thus, the purpose of this study was to characterize the incidence of specific upper extremity (UE) injuries presenting to U.S. EDs during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyze trends across age groups and rates of hospital admission compared to years prior. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried to identify patients who presented to U.S. EDs for an UE orthopaedic injury between 2016 and 2020. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were used to assess for differences in ED presentation volume and hospital admissions between pre-pandemic (2016 through 2019) and during-pandemic (2020) times. RESULTS: These queries returned 285,583 cases, representing a total estimate of 10,452,166 injuries presenting to EDs across the U.S. The mean incidence of UE orthopaedic injuries was 640.2 (95% CI, 638.2-642.3) injuries per 100,000 person-years, with the greatest year to year decrease in incidence occurring between 2019 and 2020 (20.1%). The largest number of estimated admissions occurred in 2020, with a total 135,018 admissions (95% CI, 131,518-138,517), a 41.6% increase from the average number of admissions between 2016 and 2019. CONCLUSION: There was a 20.1% decrease in the incidence of UE orthopaedic injuries presenting to EDs after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with a concomitant 41.2% increase in the number of hospital admissions from the ED in 2020 compared to recent pre-pandemic years. We speculate that at least some elective, semi-elective or urgent ambulatory surgeries were canceled or delayed due to the pandemic and were subsequently directed to the ED for admission. Regardless of the cause of increased UE orthopaedic admissions, policy planners and administrators should be aware of the additional stresses placed on already burdened ED and inpatient services. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III - Retrospective Cohort Study.

The effect of COVID-19 on a Major Trauma Network. An analysis of mechanism of injury pattern, referral load and operative case-mix.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in both mechanism and diagnoses of injuries presenting to the orthopaedic department during this lockdown period, as well as to observe any changes in operative case-mix during this time. METHODS: A study period of twelve weeks following the introduction of the nationwide "lockdown period", March 23rd - June 14th, 2020 was identified and compared to the same time period in 2019 as a "baseline period". A retrospective analysis of all emergency orthopaedic referrals and surgical procedures performed during these time frames was undertaken. All data was collected and screened using the 'eTrauma' management platform (Open Medical, UK). The study included data from a five NHS Foundation Trusts within North West London. A total of 6695 referrals were included for analysis. RESULTS: The total number of referrals received during the lockdown period fell by 35.3% (n=2631) compared to the same period in 2019 (n=4064). Falls remained proportionally the most common mechanism of injury across all age groups in both time periods. The proportion sports related injuries compared to the overall number of injuries fell significantly during the lockdown period (p<0.001), however, the proportion of pushbike related accidents increased significantly (p<0.001). The total number of operations performed during the lockdown period fell by 38.8% (n=1046) during lockdown (n=1732). The proportion of patients undergoing operative intervention for Neck of Femur (NOF) and ankle fractures remained similar during both study periods. A more non-operative approach was seen in the management of wrist fractures, with 41.4% of injuries undergoing an operation during the lockdown period compared to 58.6% at baseline (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the nationwide lockdown has led to a decrease in emergency orthopaedic referrals and procedure numbers. There has been a change in mechanism of injuries, with fewer sporting injuries, conversely, there has been an increase in the number of pushbike or scooter related injuries during the lockdown period. NOF fractures remained at similar levels to the previous year. There was a change in strategy for managing distal radius fractures with more fractures being treated non-operatively.

Upper extremity emergencies during SARS-COV-2 pandemic: Turnout trends.

INTRODUCTION: During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic and consequent government measures to prevent the overwhelming of public hospitals, emergency department (ED) orthopaedic turnout was significantly altered. This study compared the turnout of patients with upper extremity (UE) and hand & wrist (H&W) emergencies during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, with the same period of 2019, in the public and private sector. MATERIAL-METHODS: Data from a two-month period [March 23, 2020 (application of severe restrictions of civilian circulation) to May 18, 2020 (two weeks after lockdown cessation)] were collected from a public-university hospital and a private hospital and were compared with data from the same "normal" period in 2019. RESULTS: During the pandemic, the number of patients with orthopaedic, UE, and H&W problems was significantly reduced by 57.09%, 49.77%, 49.92% respectively (p<0.001) compared to 2019. However, the ratios of UE/total orthopaedic emergencies and of H&W/total orthopaedic emergencies increased significantly during the pandemic from 37.17% to 43.32% and from 25.07% to 29.15% (p=0.006 and p<0.001) respectively, compared to 2019. In the private sector, the turnout  was increased for patients with UE problems (8.82%, p=0.67) and H&W problems (24.39%, p=0.3), while in the public sector the turnout was significantly decreased for UE (49.77%, p<0.001) and H&W problems (49.92%, p<0.001) in 2020 compared to 2019. DISCUSSION: The extent of lockdown was unprecedented in recent years. The reduction of orthopaedic, UE and H&W emergencies during lockdown can be attributed to the fear of contracting the virus in the hospitals and even more in hospitals serving as COVID-19 reference centers. Despite the decrease -in absolute numbers- of patients, the increased percentages of UE to total orthopaedic and of H&W to total orthopaedic emergencies in 2020 in both hospitals, reflect the new hobbies' uptake and the increase of domestic accidents during the lockdown, despite overall activity decrease, and underline the necessity of presence of hand surgeons in the EDs. This is one of the very few population-based studies worldwide to show trends in incidence of different injuries of the UE at a regional level during the pandemic, and its results could affect future health care policies.

The impact of COVID-19 on shoulder and elbow trauma: an Italian survey.

BACKGROUND: Because of the rapid spread of COVID-19, on March 8, 2020 Italy became a "protected area": people were told not to leave their homes unless it was essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of our trauma center, relative to shoulder and elbow, in the 30 days starting from March 8, 2020, the first day of restrictions in Italy, and to compare it with the same days of 2019 to weigh the impact of COVID-19 on shoulder and elbow trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients managed in our trauma center between March 8, 2020, and April 8, 2020 (COVID period), for shoulder and elbow trauma were retrospectively included and compared to patients admitted in the same period of 2019 (no-COVID period). Clinical records of all participants were examined to obtain information regarding age, sex, mechanism of injury, and diagnosis. RESULTS: During the no-COVID period, 133 patients were admitted for a shoulder or elbow trauma; in the COVID period, there were 47 patients (65% less first aid). In the no-COVID and COVID period, patients with shoulder contusion totaled 60 (14.78% of all; male [M]: 34; female [F]: 26; mean age 51.8 years, range 18-88) and 11 (12.09% of all contusions; M: 7, F: 4; mean age 43 years, range 24-60), respectively. In the no-COVID period, 27 fractures (9.34% of all fractures) involved the shoulder, whereas 18 fractures (8.69%) were registered in the COVID period. In the no-COVID period, 14 elbow fractures were treated (4.8% of all fractures), compared with 4 in the COVID period. In the no-COVID and COVID periods, 6 patients (M: 5, F: 1; mean age 42 years, range 21-64) and 2 patients (M: 1, F: 1; mean age 29.5 years, range 24-35) reported having a feeling of momentary post-traumatic shoulder instability, and 0 and 1 patients (M: 1, F: 0; age 56 years), respectively, reported similar symptoms at the elbow. Finally, first or recurrent dislocations in the no-COVID period were 10, and in the COVID period, 7; elbow dislocations in the no-COVID period were 2, and in the COVID period, there were 3. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID period, we provided a reduced number of health services, especially for patients with low-energy trauma and for those who underwent sports and traffic accidents. However, during the COVID period, elderly subjects remain exposed to shoulder and elbow trauma due to low-energy (domestic) falls. The subsequent hospitalization of these patients has contributed to making it more difficult to manage the hospital wards that are partly occupied by COVID-19 patients.