Stress and Anxiety Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Lessons Learnt from a Cohort of Orthopaedic Registrars Redeployed to ITU).

BACKGROUND: Working during the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on health care workers. A group of orthopaedic trainees at Royal Gwent Hospital, UK, were redeployed to intensive therapy unit for four weeks during COVID-19 pandemic. This study reviews our experience; focusing on causes of stress and anxiety, and how they were managed. The lessons learnt could be used as a framework for pre-emptive me-asures during future challenges. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Orthopaedic registrars were divided into two groups. Seven trainees (Redeployed group) moved to ITU for four weeks to support the critical care team. The other group (Retained group) of eight registrars continued to cover orthopaedic rota. A survey was done for anxiety levels comparing the two groups at three time points during these four weeks. RESULTS: Anxiety and stress in the ITU-redeployed group was comparatively less than the continuing group as time progressed during the redeployment. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of massive stress and an-xiety for health care workers. 2. Our experience shows that stress is controllable with the correct strategies. 3. The main points are early identification of vulnerable groups, proper induction, active involvement, adequate explanation, appreciation, good communication, and available psychological support whenever needed. 4. These are essential to maintain a resilient workforce against upcoming waves of COVID-19.

The role of orthopaedic trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic and impact on post-graduate orthopaedic education: a four-nation survey of over 100 orthopaedic trainees.

AIMS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the provision of orthopaedic care across the UK. During the pandemic orthopaedic specialist registrars were redeployed to "frontline" specialties occupying non-surgical roles. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic training in the UK is unknown. This paper sought to examine the role of orthopaedic trainees during the COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on postgraduate orthopaedic education. METHODS: A 42-point questionnaire was designed, validated, and disseminated via e-mail and an instant-messaging platform. RESULTS: A total of 101 orthopaedic trainees, representing the four nations (Wales, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), completed the questionnaire. Overall, 23.1% (23/101) of trainees were redeployed to non-surgical roles. Of these, 73% (17/23) were redeployed to intensive treatment units (ITUs), 13% (3/23) to A/E, and 13%(3/23%) to general medicine. Of the trainees redeployed to ITU 100%, (17/17) received formal induction. Non-deployed or returning trainees had a significant reduction in sessions. In total, 42.9% (42/101) % of trainees were not timetabled into fracture clinic, 53% (53/101) of trainees had one allocated theatre list per week, and 63.8%(64/101) of trainees did not feel they obtained enough experience in the attached subspecialty and preferred repeating this. Overall, 93% (93/101) of respondents attended at least one weekly online webinar, with 79% (79/101) of trainees rating these as useful or very useful, while 95% (95/101) trainees attended online deanery teaching which was rated as more useful than online webinars (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic specialist trainees occupied an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has had a significant impact on orthopaedic training. It is imperative this is properly understood to ensure orthopaedic specialist trainees achieve competencies set out in the training curriculum.Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-11:676-682.

Trauma surgery at a designated COVID-19-free site during the pandemic: a safe model and a possible way to restart routine elective surgery.

AIMS: Elective operating was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase the capacity to provide care to an unprecedented volume of critically unwell patients. During the pandemic, the orthopaedic department at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board restructured the trauma service, relocating semi-urgent ambulatory trauma operating to the isolated clean elective centre (St. Woolos' Hospital) from the main hospital receiving COVID-19 patients (Royal Gwent Hospital). This study presents our experience of providing semi-urgent trauma care in a COVID-19-free surgical unit as a safe way to treat trauma patients during the pandemic and a potential model for restarting an elective orthopaedic service. METHODS: All patients undergoing surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic at the orthopaedic surgical unit (OSU) in St. Woolos' Hospital from 23 March 2020 to 24 April 2020 were included. All patients that were operated on had a telephone follow-up two weeks after surgery to assess if they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms or had been tested for COVID-19. The nature of admission, operative details, and patient demographics were obtained from the health board's electronic record. Staff were assessed for sickness, self-isolation, and COVID-19 status. RESULTS: A total of 58 surgical procedures were undertaken at the OSU during the study period; 93% (n = 54) of patients completed the telephone follow-up. Open reduction and internal fixation of ankle and wrist fractures were the most common procedures. None of the patients nor members of their households had developed symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or required testing. No staff members reported sick days or were advised by occupational health to undergo viral testing. CONCLUSION: This study provides optimism that orthopaedic patients planned for surgery can be protected from COVID-19 nosocomial transmission at separate COVID-19-free sites.Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-6:302-308.