Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an enormous strain on global health. Due to precautionary measures, the epidemiology of health conditions may have been affected. Saudi Arabia imposed a lockdown order on March 25, 2020. This study investigated the impact of the pandemic lockdown on injuries in a level-I trauma center in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods: This retrospective study identified all injured patients seeking emergency care during the lockdown period (March 25–June 21, 2020) and a similar period in two previous year (March 25–June 21) 2018 and 2019. The collected data included patients' demographics, injury types, mechanisms, and health outcomes.Results: Two hundred sixty nine injured patients sought emergency care during the lockdown, while 626 and 696 patients were treated in the same period of 2018 and 2019, respectively. There was a significant reduction in motor vehicle crashes (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.31–0.73) and burns (OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08–0.66), coupled with a significant increase in assault injuries (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.30–3.74) in the lockdown period compared to 2019. Apart from the intensive care unit (ICU) admission and hospital length of stay, there were no differences between the two periods in the health outcomes. ICU admission was significantly reduced by 57% during the lockdown period (OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.22–0.83). Mechanisms of injuries were not significant predictors of deaths or ICU admission or both in the lockdown period.Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdown had a clear impact on the volume and mechanisms of injuries. The findings highlight that injury risk factors are modifiable and emphasize the importance of public health measures for preventing injuries and the significance of maintaining trauma services capacity during pandemics.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the global burden of disease [1]
Applying such policies is likely to restrict the transmission of COVID-19, they can impact the epidemiology of other health conditions, such as injuries, due to the constraints on daily life activities [5, 6]
A study conducted in a single trauma center in the United States (US) found overall reductions in injury severity, mortality, and traffic-related injuries during the lockdown compared to a similar period in 2019
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the global burden of disease [1]. With the high spread of cases worldwide, the World Health Organization announced a “pandemic” status on March 11, 2020 [2]. Morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 have prompted drastic public health measures by governments and authorities to control the spread of the virus, including strict social distancing guidelines, prolonged school closure, reduced non-essential travels, and complete or partial lockdowns [3]. These measures reduced demand for healthcare systems [4]. A study conducted in Italy that investigated wrist and hand injuries found a significant reduction in traffic crashes during the lockdown period than in 2019 [10]. This study investigated the impact of the pandemic lockdown on injuries in a level-I trauma center in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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