Impact of deconfinement due to the covid-19 pandemic on the trauma pattern observed in an emergency department

ABSTRACT

Introduction: after 42 days of lockdown imposed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, children under 14 years were allowed to leave their homes. The aim of the study was to analyse the impact of the period following the lifting of confinement measures on traumatic injury trends in children. Material and methods: we carried out a retrospective and observational study in children aged less than 16 years that presented with traumatic injuries to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital between April 26 and the start of the scaling down in the Community of Madrid on May 24. We compared the frequency of traumatic injuries and fractures, the mechanism and site of injury and other variables to those recorded in the same period the year before. Results: there was a significant increase in the proportion of fractures compared to 2019 (41.9 vs. 11.3%;p <0.001). The percentage of accidents related to wheeled vehicles was significantly higher in 2020 (43.9 vs. 6.2%;p <0.001), with these accidents most frequently involving bicycles (35.4%) and scooters (32.2%). Conclusions: in the period following the lockdown, there was a remarkable increase in accidents related to wheeled vehicles in the paediatric population, although this outcome was probably influenced by specific organizational measures implemented in Madrid in the period under study. © 2021, Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics. All rights reserved.