IMAJ | volume 23
Journal 2, February 2021
pages: 82-86
Summary
Background:
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic changed medical environments worldwide.
Objectives:
To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trauma-related visits to the emergency department (ED).
Methods:
A single tertiary center retrospective study was conducted that compared ED attendance of patients with injury-related morbidity between March 2020 (COVID-19 outbreak) and pre-COVID-19 periods: February 2020 and the same 2 months in 2018 and 2019.
Results:
Overall, 6513 patients were included in the study. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the daily number of patients visiting the ED for acute trauma declined by 40% compared to the average in previous months (
P < 0.01). A strong negative correlation was found between the number of trauma-related ED visits and the log number of confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Israel (Pearson's
r = -0.63,
P < 0.01). In the COVID-19 period there was a significant change in the proportion of elderly patients (7% increase,
P = 0.002), admissions ratio (12% increase,
P < 0.001), and patients brought by emergency medical services (10% increase,
P < 0.001). The number of motor vehicle accident related injury declined by 45% (
P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
A significant reduction in the number of trauma patients presenting to the ED occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet trauma-related admissions were on the rise