Impact of the COVID-19 on the epidemiology of maxillofacial fractures surgically treated in a Cuban university hospital

ABSTRACT

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people's behavior. Aim: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 on the epidemiology of maxillofacial fractures surgically treated in a Cuban university hospital. Methods: This research involved a 4-year descriptive, comparative, retrospective and cross-sectional study. Patients surgically treated between March 1 and December 31, 2020 (COVID-19 period) were compared with those who had undergone surgery between the same date in the years 2017-2019 (non-pandemic period). Age, sex, residence, year, month, alcohol consumption at the time of trauma, etiology, fractures types, and number of fractures per patient were recorded. Results: A decline in patients with maxillofacial fractures in 2020 (n=25) was observed when compared to equivalent periods in the three previous years (2017 n=37;2018 n=31;2019 n=41), respectively, with an annual average reduction of 31.19 %. Interpersonal violence was found to be the paramount etiological factor for maxillofacial fractures during the comparison periods (2017-2019);however, road traffic accident prevailed in the 2020 (n=12;48 %). There was a small increase in the number of alcohol-related fractures (56 % in 2020 vs 46.34 %, 41.94 %, and 51.35 % in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively). Conclusion: COVID-19 impacted on the epidemiology maxillofacial fractures surgically treated in this Cuban university hospital. © 2023, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.