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Influence of a Stay-At-Home Order on Trauma Volume and Injury Patterns at a Level I Trauma Center in Ohio
Gregory S Huang1, Elisha A Chance2, C Michael Dunham1
1Trauma/Critical Care/General Surgery, St Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, Youngstown, OH, USA.
Background:
Changes in injury patterns during the COVID pandemic have been reported in other states. The objective was to explore changes to trauma service volume and admission characteristics at a trauma center in northeast Ohio during a stay-at-home order (SAHO) and compare the 2020 data to historic trauma census data.
Methods:
Retrospective chart review of adult trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center in northeast Ohio. Trauma admissions from January 21 to July 21, 2020 (COVID period) were compared to date-matched cohorts of trauma admissions from 2018 to 2019 (historic period). The COVID period was further categorized as pre-SAHO, active-SAHO, and post-SAHO.
Results:
The SAHO was associated with a reduction in trauma center admissions that increased after the SAHO (P = .0033). Only outdoor recreational vehicle (ORV) injuries (P = .0221) and self-inflicted hanging (P = .0028) mechanisms were increased during the COVID period and had substantial effect sizes. Glasgow Coma Scores were lower during the COVID period (P = .0286) with a negligible effect size. Violence-related injuries, injury severity, mortality, and admission characteristics including alcohol and drug testing and positivity were similar in the COVID and historic periods.
Discussion:
The SAHO resulted in a temporary decrease in trauma center admissions. Although ORV and hanging mechanisms were increased, other mechanisms such as alcohol and toxicology proportions, injury severity, length of stay, and mortality were unchanged.
