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Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Nasal Fractures
Cigdem Firat Koca1, Turgut Celik2, Sukru Aydin2
1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, 531771Malatya Turgut Özal University, Malatya, Turkey.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a decrease in pediatric nasal fractures, with assault becoming the leading cause. Treatment intervention times were also delayed during the pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Nasal bone fractures are common facial injuries, often resulting from assaults, falls, or accidents.
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered societal behaviors and healthcare access, potentially impacting injury patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and characteristics of pediatric nasal fractures.
- To compare fracture etiology, treatment, and intervention times before and during the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed data from 251 pediatric patients with nasal fractures treated at Malatya Training and Research Hospital.
- Data included demographic information, fracture etiology, type, intervention details, and outcomes for the pre-pandemic year and the subsequent pandemic year.
- Statistical comparison was performed between the two periods.
Main Results:
- A decrease in the total number of pediatric nasal fracture cases was observed during the pandemic.
- Assault emerged as the leading cause of nasal fractures during the pandemic, shifting from falls in the pre-pandemic period.
- The average time to intervention for nasal fractures was significantly longer during the pandemic (6 days) compared to the pre-pandemic period (5 days).
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to a reduction in pediatric nasal fractures but altered the primary causes and delayed treatment.
- Type IIA nasal fractures were most common, with most patients receiving outpatient treatment and closed reduction.
- This study provides novel insights into pandemic-related changes in pediatric nasal trauma, contributing to the existing literature.
Objectives:
Nasal bone fracture is a frequent entity consulted to the otolaryngologists, approximately accounting for 39% of all facial bone fractures. The most frequent mechanisms of injury consist of assault, sport-related injuries, falls, and motor vehicle accidents. In this study, we examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric nasal fractures.
Methods:
Children with nasal fracture who applied to Malatya Training and Research Hospital during the year before the first case and the following year were included in this study. Data of 172 patients for the pre-pandemic period and 79 patients for pandemic were available and included in the study. Demographic information, clinical features, nasal fracture etiology, nasal fracture type, type and time of intervention, and other accompanying pathologies were recorded.
Results:
While falls was the leading cause of fracture etiology before the pandemic (64 patients [37.21%]), assault seems to be the leading cause during the pandemic period (27 children [34.18%]). In the pre-pandemic period, the intervention for patients with nasal fractures was performed on an average of 5 days, while this period was calculated as an average of 6 days during the pandemic period. When the 2 groups are compared in terms of nasal fracture intervention time, it was seen that the intervention time was statistically significantly later in the pandemic period (P < .001). According to the results of the analysis, the most cases in the pandemic period were seen in the fourth month, which indicated a-month period between 11 June and 11 July.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, our number of nasal fracture cases was decreased during the pandemic period compared to the 1-year period before the pandemic. We observed the most common type IIA nasal fracture. We gave outpatient treatment to most of the patients. Our most common cause of fracture was assault. We intervened in our cases in an average of 6 days and preferred closed reduction most frequently. We could not find any study on the same subject in the literature, and we aimed to contribute to the literature with this study.
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