Changes in sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury in New Zealand during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify changes in sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury claims in New Zealand during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., 2020 and 2021). DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. METHODS: This study included all new sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury claims that were registered with the Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand during 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021. Annual sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury claim rates per 100,000 population from 2010 to 2019 were used to fit autoregressive integrated moving average models, from which forecast estimates with 95 % prediction intervals for 2020 and 2021 were derived and compared against corresponding observed values to obtain estimates of absolute and relative forecast errors. RESULTS: Sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury claim rates were 30 % and 10 % lower than forecasted in 2020 and 2021, respectively, equating to an estimated total of 2410 fewer sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury claims during the two-year period. CONCLUSIONS: There was a large reduction in sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury claims in New Zealand during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the need for future epidemiological studies examining temporal trends of sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury to account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I Don't Think It's on Anyone's Radar": The Workforce and System Barriers to Healthcare for Indigenous Women Following a Traumatic Brain Injury Acquired through Violence in Remote Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of violence. While healthcare access is critical for women who have experienced a TBI as it can support pre-screening, comprehensive diagnostic assessment, and referral pathways, little is known about the barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in remote areas to access healthcare. To address this gap, this study focuses on the workforce barriers in one remote region in Australia. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 38 professionals from various sectors including health, crisis accommodation and support, disability, family violence, and legal services. Interviews and focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim and were analysed using thematic analysis. The results highlighted various workforce barriers that affected pre-screening and diagnostic assessment including limited access to specialist neuropsychology services and stable remote primary healthcare professionals with remote expertise. There were also low levels of TBI training and knowledge among community-based professionals. The addition of pre-screening questions together with professional training on TBI may improve how remote service systems respond to women with potential TBI. Further research to understand the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living with TBI is needed.

Effects of the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Assault-Related Head Injury in Melbourne: A Retrospective Study.

Assault is the leading preventable cause of death, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and associated mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on patterns of interpersonal violence across the world. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we analysed medical records of 1232 assault victims (domestic violence: 111, random assault: 900, prison assault: 221) with head injuries who presented to the emergency department (ED) at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, a city with one of the longest and most severe COVID-19 restrictions worldwide. We examined changes in prevalence in the assault group overall and in domestic violence, random assault, and prison assault victims, comparing data from 19.5 months before and after the first day of COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne. Moreover, we investigated differences driven by demographic factors (Who: age group, sex, and nationality) and clinical variables (Where: assault location, and When: time of arrival to the ED and time from moment of injury until presentation at ED). Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were performed. We found the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the Where of assault-related TBI, with a shift in the location of assaults from the street to the home, and the increase at home being driven by random assaults on middle-aged adults. Overall, we observed that 86% of the random assault cases were males, whereas 74% of the domestic assault cases were females. Meanwhile, nearly half (44%) of the random assault victims reported alcohol consumption versus a fifth (20%) of domestic violence victims. These findings will have direct implications for developing screening tools and better preventive and ameliorative interventions to manage the sequelae of assault TBI, particularly in the context of future large-scale health crises or emergencies.

Societal Participation of People With Traumatic Brain Injury Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on societal participation in people with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective cohort. SETTING: National TBI Model Systems centers, United States. PARTICIPANTS: TBI Model Systems enrollees (N=7003), ages 16 and older and 1-30 years postinjury, interviewed either prepandemic (PP) or during the pandemic (DP). The sample was primarily male (72.4%) and White (69.5%), with motor vehicle collisions as the most common cause of injury (55.1%). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The 3 subscales of the Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective: Out and About (community involvement), Productivity, and Social Relations. RESULTS: Out and About, but not Productivity or Social Relations, scores were appreciably lower among DP participants compared to PP participants (medium effect). Demographic and clinical characteristics showed similar patterns of association with participation domains across PP and DP. When their unique contributions were examined in regression models, age, self-identified race, education level, employment status, marital status, income level, disability severity, and life satisfaction were variably predictive of participation domains, though most effects were small or medium in size. Depression and anxiety symptom severities each showed small zero-order correlations with participation domains across PP and DP but had negligible effects in regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the effect of COVID-19 on participation levels in the general population, people with TBI reported less community involvement during the pandemic, potentially compounding existing postinjury challenges to societal integration. The pandemic does not appear to have altered patterns of association between demographic/clinical characteristics and participation. Assessing and addressing barriers to community involvement should be a priority for TBI treatment providers. Longitudinal studies of TBI that consider pandemic-related effects on participation and other societally linked outcomes will help to elucidate the potential longer-term effect the pandemic has on behavioral health in this population.

Provider perceptions of severe pediatric traumatic brain injury care priorities across hospitals in South America before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: To understand provider perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic on priorities of severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) care across hospitals in South America. METHODS: Site principal investigators (PIs) from 17 hospitals in South America enrolled in the PEGASUS-Argentina randomized controlled trial completed questionnaires regarding order of tasks performed in the care of a typical pediatric patient with severe TBI before (2019) and during (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Acute care processes were examined by quintiles to identify early, mid, and late actions and were categorized and compared. Associations of hospital volume and subspecialty resource availability with prioritization of key process actions were examined. FINDING: Site PIs from 15 and 16 hospitals completed the surveys in 2019 and 2021, respectively, including 14 who completed both. Action category order was stable between 2019 and 2021 and were ranked in priorities as: initial encounter, primary survey, interventions and invasive monitors, diagnostics, medications, staff communication, then disposition (in 2019) or nutrition (in 2021). There was variation in specific action order between hospitals at both timepoints, with only a few initial encounter and disposition actions limited to a single quintile. There was no reported association between hospital volume or subspecialty resource availability with prioritization of key process actions. INTERPRETATION: Despite novel healthcare challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, providers in South America perceived maintaining standard severe pediatric TBI care consistent with BTF guidelines. There was large variability in specific action order between individual hospitals reported.

Referrals to Early Specialized Rehabilitation after Traumatic Brain Injury during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify potential changes in direct referral to early specialized rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and the injury pattern of patients hospitalized with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at a level 1 trauma centre. METHODS: In this registry-based study, data were retrieved from the Oslo TBI Registry-Neurosurgery and included adult patients with injury-related intracranial findings admitted to Oslo University Hospital (OUH). The study focused on a period of time when OUH was in any level of preparedness because of the COVID-19 pandemic; March 2020 to August 2021. For comparison, the study used patients hospitalized for TBI in 2018 and 2019. RESULTS: A total of 1,310 hospitalized patients with TBI were divided into 2 groups; pre-pandemic and pandemic. Direct referral to early rehabilitation was maintained. Patient volume remained stable, and there were no differences between the groups regarding patient characteristics and acute management, although there was a significantly higher proportion of TBIs secondary to electric scooter accidents in the pandemic group. Results from univariable and multivariable logistic regression showed a multifaceted reality, but younger age, none or mild preinjury comorbidity and severe disability due to TBI at discharge from acute care remained stable strong predictors of direct referral to rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: For patients with moderate-severe TBI, the direct pathway to early specialized rehabilitation was maintained during 2020-21. However, the pandemic continued and the long-term impact for rehabilitation services is not yet known.

Managing Traumatic Brain Injury During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic-A Case-Matched Controlled Analysis of Immediate Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to compare their outcome with case-matched controls from the prepandemic phase. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study in which all patients with TBI admitted during COVID-19 pandemic phase (Arm A) from March 24, 2020 to November 30, 2020 were matched with age and Glasgow Coma Scale score-matched controls from the patients admitted before March 2020 (Arm B). RESULTS: The total number of patients matched in each arm was 118. The length of hospital stay (8 days vs. 5 days; P < 0.001), transit time from emergency room to operation room (150 minutes vs. 97 minutes; P = 0.271), anesthesia induction time (75 minutes vs. 45 minutes; P = 0.002), and operative duration (275 minutes vs. 180 minutes; P = 0.002) were longer in arm A. Although the incidence of fever and pneumonia was significantly higher in arm A than in arm B (50% vs. 26.3%, P < 0.001 and 27.1% vs. 1.7%, P < 0.001, respectively), outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended) and mortality (18.6% vs. 14.4% respectively; P = 0.42) were similar in both the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of the patients managed for TBI during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to matched patients with TBI managed at our center before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding suggests that the guidelines followed during the COVID-19 pandemic were effective in dealing with patients with TBI. This model can serve as a guide for any future pandemic waves for effective management of patients with TBI without compromising their outcome.

Health Care Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury-A Nationwide, Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Containment measures during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have resulted in a substantial reduction in treatment of injury. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology and mortality of severe traumatic brain injury on a national, population-based level is unknown. METHODS: Data on all patients with severe traumatic brain injury between 2017 and 2020 were retrieved from the National Trauma Registry of Norway. The study cohort was derived from the pandemic period (March 12 to December 31, 2020) and the control cohort from the prepandemic years 2017 to 2019. The outcome measures were 30-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, and discharge destination. RESULTS: This study included 522 trauma patients with severe traumatic brain injury, 387 (74.1%) in the prepandemic and 135 (25.9%) in the pandemic period. Length of stay increased significantly during the pandemic period (4 vs. 3 days; P = 0.014). The 30-day mortality rate was 39% (n = 149) in the prepandemic versus 38% (n = 52) pandemic period (P = 0.998). In-hospital mortality was 33% (n = 128) in the prepandemic versus 33% (n = 44) in the pandemic period (P = 0.920). There were no statistically significant differences in discharge destination besides the number of patients discharged to home in the pandemic period (P = 0.003). When adjusted for clinical relevant factors such as age, gender, and head injury severity, the mortality outcomes did not change during the pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS: The containment and lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway did not affect the number of patients or mortality of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Changes in alcohol use and mood during the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with traumatic brain injury: A difference-in-difference study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic exposure on changes in alcohol use and mood from years 1 to 2 after traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: We used a difference-in-difference (DiD) study design to analyze data from 1,059 individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI enrolled in the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database. We defined COVID-19 pandemic exposure as participants who received their year 1 post-injury interviews prior to January 1, 2020, and their year 2 interview between April 1, 2020 and January 15, 2021. Pandemic-unexposed participants had both year 1 and 2 follow-up interviews before January 1, 2020. We measured current alcohol use as any past month alcohol use, average number of drinks per drinking occasion, and past month binge drinking. We measured depression symptoms using Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. RESULTS: We found persons with TBI exposed to the pandemic had greater increases in the average number of drinks per occasion from year 1 to 2 post-injury compared to pandemic-unexposed individuals (ß = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.57, p = 0.001), with males, adults <65 years old, and Black and Hispanic subgroups showing the greatest increases in consumption. Though average consumption was elevated, changes in rates of any alcohol use or binge drinking by pandemic exposure were not observed. Overall, there were no significant changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms over time between pandemic exposed and unexposed groups; however, pandemic-exposed Hispanics with TBI reported significant increases in anxiety symptoms from year-1 to year-2 post-injury compared to pandemic-unexposed Hispanics (ß = 2.35, 95% CI: 0.25, 4.47, p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Among persons living with TBI, those exposed to the pandemic had significant increases in average alcohol consumption. Pandemic-exposed Hispanics with TBI had large elevations in anxiety symptoms, perhaps reflecting health inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, and suggesting a need for targeted monitoring of psychosocial distress.

Epidemiological Pattern of Traumatic Brain Injury in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has decreased since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is still evolving, the number of TBI cases has still greatly increased in multiple countries. In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of patients with TBI before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search of original studies, short reports, and research letters from databases on studies that contained data about the severity, mortality, presence of neurological deficits, radiological diagnosis, cause of injury, and type of management of TBI during a specified period within the pandemic compared with before the pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 18,490 subjects from 13 studies were included in the present study. The results of the meta-analysis showed a higher TBI mortality rate during the COVID-19 pandemic in the low-to-middle income countries (odds ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.41; P < 0.05; I2 = 40.8%; P = 0.18). The proportion of subdural hemorrhage was decreased, and the proportion of subarachnoid hemorrhage was increased in low- to middle-income and high-income countries, respectively. The proportion of assaults as the cause of TBI had increased during the pandemic (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.86; P = 0.02; I2 = 20.8%; P = 0.28). We did not find any significant differences in the incidence of surgical intervention for TBI during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our results have indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the TBI mortality rate had increased in low- to middle-income countries. The rate of assault as the cause of TBI had also increased during the pandemic.

Outcomes in patients with and without disability admitted to hospital with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Disability-related considerations have largely been absent from the COVID-19 response, despite evidence that people with disabilities are at elevated risk for acquiring COVID-19. We evaluated clinical outcomes in patients who were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 with a disability compared with patients without a disability. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included adults with COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital and discharged between Jan. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2020, at 7 hospitals in Ontario, Canada. We compared in-hospital death, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), hospital length of stay and unplanned 30-day readmission among patients with and without a physical disability, hearing or vision impairment, traumatic brain injury, or intellectual or developmental disability, overall and stratified by age (≤ 64 and ≥ 65 yr) using multivariable regression, controlling for sex, residence in a long-term care facility and comorbidity. RESULTS: Among 1279 admissions to hospital for COVID-19, 22.3% had a disability. We found that patients with a disability were more likely to die than those without a disability (28.1% v. 17.6%), had longer hospital stays (median 13.9 v. 7.8 d) and more readmissions (17.6% v. 7.9%), but had lower ICU admission rates (22.5% v. 28.3%). After adjustment, there were no statistically significant differences between those with and without disabilities for in-hospital death or admission to ICU. After adjustment, patients with a disability had longer hospital stays (rate ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.56) and greater risk of readmission (relative risk 1.77, 95% CI 1.14-2.75). In age-stratified analyses, we observed longer hospital stays among patients with a disability than in those without, in both younger and older subgroups; readmission risk was driven by younger patients with a disability. INTERPRETATION: Patients with a disability who were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 had longer stays and elevated readmission risk than those without disabilities. Disability-related needs should be addressed to support these patients in hospital and after discharge.

Accessibility of Online Resources for Associations Providing Services to People with Brain Injuries in Covid-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many community-based services for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been moved online, which may have hindered their accessibility. The study aims to assess the accessibility of online information and resources dedicated to people with TBI. METHODS: The websites of 14 organizations offering information and resources to people with TBI in Quebec were evaluated. Two co-authors independently evaluated one page of each website and compared their results. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: The average accessibility score of the 14 websites evaluated was 54% with a standard deviation of 16%. Website design and writing were the most accessible aspects (72.3%). Only two out of the 14 websites (14%) presented multimedia content. This category presented the most barriers to accessibility with a score of 42%. Regarding images, they reached an accessibility score of 46%. Their main shortcoming was the absence of a caption. CONCLUSION: This study highlights accessibility issues specific to people with TBI to access online resources and identifies specific areas of improvement. The results of this study provide community organizations with avenues of improvement to make their online resources more accessible to people with TBI and may therefore lead to improved community practices.

Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Shutdown on Neurotrauma Volume in Pennsylvania.

OBJECTIVE: The 2020 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in state-specific quarantine protocols and introduced the concept of social distancing into modern parlance. We assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on neurotrauma presentations in the first 3 months after shutdown throughout Pennsylvania. METHODS: The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation was queried for registry data from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study between March 12 and June 5 in each year from 2017 to 2020. RESULTS: After the COVID-19 shutdown, there was a 27% reduction in neurotrauma volume, from 2680 cases in 2017 to 2018 cases in 2020, and a 28.8% reduction in traumatic brain injury volume. There was no significant difference in neurotrauma phenotype incurred relative to total cases. Injury mechanism was less likely to be motor vehicle collision and more likely caused by falls, gunshot wound, and recreational vehicle accidents (P < 0.05). Location of injury was less likely on roads and public locations and more likely at indoor private locations (P < 0.05). The proportion of patients with neurotrauma with blood alcohol concentration >0.08 g/dL was reduced in 2020 (11.4% vs. 9.0%; P < 0.05). Mortality was higher during 2020 compared with pre-COVID years (7.7% vs. 6.4%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: During statewide shutdown, neurotrauma volume and alcohol-related trauma decreased and low-impact traumas and gunshot wounds increased, with a shift toward injuries occurring in private, indoor locations. These changes increased mortality. However, there was not a change in the types of injuries sustained.

Management of neurotrauma during COVID-19: a single centre experience and lessons for the future.

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is amongst the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The unprecedented emergence of COVID-19 has mandated neurosurgeons to limit viral spread and spare hospital resources whilst trying to adapt management plans for TBI. We aimed to characterize how this affects decision-making on TBI management and drive strategies to cope with future expected waves. METHODS: Retrospective TBI data collection from a single tertiary referral unit was performed between: 01/04/2019 - 30/06/2019 ('Pre-Epidemic') and 01/04/2020 - 30/06/20 ('Epidemic'). Demographics, mechanism of injury, TBI severity, radiological findings, alcohol/anticoagulants/antiplatelets use, and management decisions were extracted. RESULTS: 646 TBI referrals were received in 'Pre-Epidemic' (N = 317) and 'Epidemic' (N = 280) groups. There was reduction in RTA-associated TBI (14.8 vs 9.3%; p = .04) and increase in patients on anticoagulants (14.2 vs 23.6%; p = .003) in the 'Epidemic' group. Despite similarities between other TBI-associated variables, a significantly greater proportion of patients were managed conservatively in local referring units without neurosurgical services (39.1 vs 56.8%; p < .0001), predominantly constituted by mild TBI. CONCLUSION: Despite COVID-19 public health measures, the burden of TBI remains eminent. Increases in local TBI management warrant vigilance from primary healthcare services to meet post-TBI needs in the community.

Impact on neurosurgical management in Level 1 trauma centers during COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions: The Santa Clara County experience.

Early COVID-19-targeted legislations reduced public activity and elective surgery such that local neurosurgical care greatly focused on emergent needs. This study examines neurosurgical trauma patients' dispositions through two neighboring trauma centers to inform resource allocation. We conducted a retrospective review of the trauma registries for two Level 1 Trauma Centers in Santa Clara County, one academic and one community center, between February 1st and April 15th, 2018-2020. Events before a quarantine, implemented on March 16th, 2020, and events from 2018 to 19 were used for reference. Encounters were characterized by injuries, services, procedures, and disposition. Categorical variables were analyzed by the χ2 test, proportions of variables by z-score test, and non-parametric variables by Fisher's exact test. A total of 1,336 traumas were identified, with 31% from the academic center and 69% from the community center. During the post-policy period, relative to matching periods in years prior, there was a decrease in number of TBI and spinal fractures (24% versus 41%, p < 0.001) and neurosurgical consults (27% versus 39%, p < 0.003), but not in number of neurosurgical admissions or procedures. There were no changes in frequency of neurosurgery consults among total traumas, patients triaged to critical care services, or patients discharged to temporary rehabilitation services. Neurosurgical services were similarly rendered between the academic and community hospitals. This study describes neurosurgical trauma management in a suburban healthcare network immediately following restrictive quarantine during a moderate COVID-19 outbreak. Our data shows that neurosurgery remains a resource-intensive subspeciality, even during restrictive periods when overall trauma volume is decreased.

COVID-19 and dementia: Analyses of risk, disparity, and outcomes from electronic health records in the US.

INTRODUCTION: At present, there is limited data on the risks, disparity, and outcomes for COVID-19 in patients with dementia in the United States. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control analysis of patient electronic health records (EHRs) of 61.9 million adult and senior patients (age ≥ 18 years) in the United States up to August 21, 2020. RESULTS: Patients with dementia were at increased risk for COVID-19 compared to patients without dementia (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.00 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.94-2.06], P < .001), with the strongest effect for vascular dementia (AOR: 3.17 [95% CI, 2.97-3.37], P < .001), followed by presenile dementia (AOR: 2.62 [95% CI, 2.28-3.00], P < .001), Alzheimer's disease (AOR: 1.86 [95% CI, 1.77-1.96], P < .001), senile dementia (AOR: 1.99 [95% CI, 1.86-2.13], P < .001) and post-traumatic dementia (AOR: 1.67 [95% CI, 1.51-1.86] P < .001). Blacks with dementia had higher risk of COVID-19 than Whites (AOR: 2.86 [95% CI, 2.67-3.06], P < .001). The 6-month mortality and hospitalization risks in patients with dementia and COVID-19 were 20.99% and 59.26%, respectively. DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the need to protect patients with dementia as part of the strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disability and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the consequences of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), with particular attention to unique effects for individuals with chronic disability. DESIGN: Individuals with and without a history of TBI completed a web-based survey. SETTING: Participants were recruited from the Vanderbilt Brain Injury Patient Registry in Nashville, TN, and completed the survey from their homes between May and June 2020, during social distancing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N=47) in the chronic phase of moderate-severe TBI (>6mo postinjury) and 51 noninjured comparison (NC) peers completed the survey. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants, or respondents, answered a mix of multiple choice and free text questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their work, education, medical care, social communication, sources of information and decision making, and mental and physical well-being. Individuals with TBI also answered questions about how TBI has affected their experiences of the pandemic. RESULTS: As a group, respondents with TBI reported less pandemic-related behavior change (eg, daily habits, virtual social visits, and masking) than NC peers. Both NCs and respondents with TBI identified health care providers as trusted sources of public health information. One-third of individuals with TBI indicated that brain injury has made coping with the pandemic more difficult, and respondents identified mental health challenges and social isolation as key barriers. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that health care providers should look for ways to provide tailored education and reduce social isolation for individuals with disability during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss several direct suggestions from participant responses.

The Effects of Lockdown During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic on Neurotrauma-Related Hospital Admissions.

BACKGROUND: The response to the global severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic culminated in mandatory isolation throughout the world, with nationwide confinement orders issued to decrease viral spread. These drastic measures were successful in "flattening the curve" and maintaining the previous rate of coronavirus disease 2019 infections and deaths. To date, the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on neurotrauma has not been reported. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed hospital admissions from Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, during the months of March and April from 2016 to 2020. Specifically, we identified all patients who had cranial neurotrauma consisting of traumatic brain injury and/or skull fractures, as well as spinal neurotrauma consisting of vertebral fractures and/or spinal cord injury. We then performed chart review to determine mechanism of injury and if emergent surgical intervention was required. RESULTS: Compared with previous years, we saw a significant decline in the number of neurotraumas during the pandemic, with a 62% decline after the lockdown began. The number of emergent neurotrauma surgical cases also significantly decreased by 84% in the month of April. Interestingly, although the number of vehicular traumas decreased by 77%, there was a significant 100% increase in the number of gunshot wounds. CONCLUSIONS: Population seclusion had a direct effect on the frequency of neurotrauma, whereas the change in relative proportion of certain mechanisms may be associated with the psychosocial effects of social distancing and quarantine.

Increasing Traumatic Brain Injury Incidence during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Emergency Department of Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital-A National Referral Hospital in Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluating the TBI incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic era compared with similar period in previous year. BACKGROUND: The emergence of SARS-CoV2 influenced the evolution of governmental and hospital policy worldwide, which might eventually impact many aspects. The incidence of many diseases in the Emergency Department (ED), especially traumatic brain injury (TBI), has been an area of interest. DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective study comparing TBI incidence before and during COVID-19 pandemic era starting from the declaration of national pandemic date (March 16, 2020) until June 14, 2020 with the comparison of the same period in the previous year. RESULTS: There was an increase in admission rate due to TBI during COVID-19 pandemic compared with the previous year (157/752 (20.9%) vs 106/766 (13.8%), p < 0.001, respectively). While the range of age was similar between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 era (37.9 ± 14.8 vs 38.6 ± 15.4 years, p = 0.712), male was higher in percentage to experience the injury (131/157 (83.4%) vs 67/106 (63.2%), p < 0.001). During the pandemic era, road traffic injury (97/157 (61.8%) vs 56/106 (52.8%), p = 0.149) as well as moderate-to-severe brain injury tended to increase (30/157 (19.1%) vs 17/106 (16.0%) p = 0.524) albeit statistically insignificant. Although the mortality rate was similar (12/157 (7.6%) vs 9/106 (8.5%), p = 0.804), higher hospitalization rate was observed in the pandemic era (81/157 (51.2%) vs 37/106 (34.9%) p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: TBI incidence remained increasing despite entering the COVID-19 era. These phenomena required further investigation and analysis that may possibly be unrelated with the COVID-19, but due to the change of the government policy and its impact, such as the more quiet road after national social distancing.