Upper extremity emergencies during SARS-COV-2 pandemic: Turnout trends

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The SARS-COV-2 pandemic and associated public health measures significantly altered emergency department (ED) orthopaedic patient volumes.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for healthcare resource allocation and patient care planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of upper extremity (UE) and hand & wrist (H&W) emergencies in the ED during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic versus the same period in 2019.
• To analyze these trends across both public and private healthcare sectors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data collection from a public-university hospital and a private hospital.
• Comparison of patient turnout for orthopaedic, UE, and H&W emergencies during a two-month period in 2020 (pandemic) versus the same period in 2019 (pre-pandemic).

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in overall orthopaedic (57.09%), UE (49.77%), and H&W (49.92%) emergencies was observed during the pandemic.
• The proportion of UE and H&W emergencies relative to total orthopaedic cases significantly increased during the pandemic.
• The private sector saw an increase in UE and H&W cases, while the public sector experienced significant decreases in both.

Conclusions:

• The decrease in absolute numbers of orthopaedic emergencies is likely due to fear of hospital-acquired infections and lockdown measures.
• The increased *percentage* of UE and H&W emergencies suggests a rise in domestic accidents and new hobbies during lockdown.
• These findings highlight the need for hand surgeons in EDs and may inform future healthcare policies regarding emergency care during pandemics.