[Do COVID-19 restrictions lead to a decrease in severely injured patients at a level 1 trauma center in Germany?]

Area of Science:

• Trauma surgery
• Critical care medicine
• Public health policy

Background:

• Intensive care and ventilator capacity are critical for COVID-19 patient treatment.
• Severely injured patients often require prolonged intensive care and ventilation.
• The study investigated if COVID-19 restrictions impacted the number of severely injured patients and ICU capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if COVID-19 related restrictions reduced the number of severely injured patients.
• To assess the impact on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity for trauma patients.
• To analyze changes in injury patterns and accident types during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of severely injured patients (ISS ≥16) from March 17 to April 30, 2020.
• Comparison with data from 2018 and 2019 as control groups.
• Recorded injury mechanisms, ISS, accident type (work-related, suicide attempt), and need for surgery within 24 hours.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in the total number of severely injured patients or those needing ICU/ventilator care.
• A slight increase in patients requiring surgery within 24 hours in 2020.
• A notable rise in work-related accidents (44.4% in 2020) and a decrease in non-work-related motorbike accidents.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 restrictions did not reduce the demand for ICU care for severely injured patients.
• Trauma and critical care capacities must account for severely injured patients during crises.
• Further validation with the German Trauma Register is pending.