Evaluation of patterns of trauma reporting to the emergency department during the first COVID-19 lockdown in India

3^rd World Congress on Surgery, Surgeons & Anesthesia

March 27-28, 2023 | Webinar

Swagat Mahapatra

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, India

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Surgery

Abstract :

Background: On March 24, 2020, the Government of India declared a nationwide lockdown and a series of measures aimed at limiting the spread of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. This led to dynamic changes in patient inflow and management in the emergency department. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the impact of the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods on the demography of trauma in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods: The trauma caseloads between March 25, 2020 and April 14, 2020 and that of the homologous period of 2019 were thoroughly analyzed and compared retrospectively. Results: There was an overall decrease in trauma patients. Elderly male patients had an increased incidence of injury during the lockdown period with a significant p-value (0.0009). There was a significant increase in the number of minor orthopedic procedures while there was a significant decrease in the number of major orthopedic procedures. Fractures of the proximal femur were significantly increased during the lockdown period (p-value 0.011) and fractures of the femur and tibia shaft were significantly decreased during the lockdown period (p-value 0.002). Fractures of the distal radius were significantly increased during the lockdown period (p-value 0.005) and fractures of the shaft of humerus, radius and ulna were significantly decreased during the lockdown period (p-value 0.028). Injuries following fall, trivial trauma and animalinduced trauma were significantly increased (p-values<0.0001, <0.0001, 0.014, respectively), whereas injuries following sports and motor vehicle accidents were significantly decreased (p-value 0.006, <0.0001, respectively). The number of patients reaching within the golden hour (<1 hour) was significantly increased (p-value 0.0003). Conclusion: Strict administrative measures had a high impact on the number and epidemiology of trauma with remarkable changes. There were a decreased number of trauma cases but the mechanism, type and management of these cases were significantly altered from the homologous period of the previous year.

Biography :

Swagat Mahapatra is Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics and Consultant Hand Surgeon at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India. He has done his post-Graduation in Orthopaedics and has completed his Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery. He is also a diploma holder from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He has more than 50 Publications in international high impact journals. He specializes as a clinician as well as an academician in the field of Orthopaedics, Joint Surgery, Trauma, Hand Surgery and Peripheral Nerve Surgery.