Abstract
Musculoskeletal dysfunction due to deformities and injuries of the foot is a common orthopedic problem. To analyze the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on both elective and emergency foot surgeries. This study analyzed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on elective and emergency foot surgeries. The comparison included data collected in 2019 (March 15-October 15, when the epidemic did not influence the Polish healthcare system or patient demographics) and in a corresponding period in 2020. This study was conducted in the trauma and orthopedic surgery wards and the emergency departments of 2 regional Polish hospitals. The analysis of the data from the orthopedic wards showed a reduction in the total number of admissions in 2020 by 55%. The number of elective and emergency interventions was differently related to the pandemic, with elective interventions declining by 72% and emergency interventions increasing by 27% in 2020 compared to 2019. The total number of elective foot surgeries in children decreased by 59% in 2020. The mean duration of hospital stay was approx. 2.5 days shorter in adults and 1.7 days shorter in children during the 2nd evaluation period. The emergency department data showed a decline of 32% in the number of patients presenting with injuries during the pandemic. Nonetheless, the pandemic did not affect the mean age of patients and the female-to-male ratio. The global COVID-19 pandemic affected the epidemiology of foot injuries as well as the prevalence of foot surgeries in children and adults.
Highlights
Musculoskeletal dysfunction due to deformities and injuries of the foot is a common orthopedic problem
The number of elective and emergency interventions was differently related to the pandemic, with elective interventions declining by 72% and emergency interventions increasing by 27% in 2020 compared to 2019
The global COVID-19 pandemic affected the epidemiology of foot injuries as well as the prevalence of foot surgeries in children and adults
Summary
Musculoskeletal dysfunction due to deformities and injuries of the foot is a common orthopedic problem. The COVID-19 pandemic unquestionably affected the functioning of national healthcare systems.[2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19] This included changes in the character of hospitals, including conversions of surgical wards into infectious wards, limiting the number of elective admissions and reducing the number of medical staff The latter was due to temporary quarantines placed on those who had a contact with patients suspected of having COVID-19 infections and the furloughing of elderly or chronic disease-burdened staff.[3,4,5,10]
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