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Hip Fracture Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea
Jin Won Chung1, Yong-Chan Ha2, Mi-Kyung Lee3
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
A COVID-19 screening system effectively managed hip fracture patients during the pandemic in South Korea. Hip fracture surgeries yielded comparable results, with no COVID-19 infections or related deaths, demonstrating system efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Infectious Disease Control
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to healthcare systems globally.
- Orthopedic management of hip fractures requires careful consideration of patient safety and surgical outcomes during infectious disease outbreaks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a screening system for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hip fracture patients.
- To assess the overall orthopedic management of hip fracture patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.
- To compare surgical outcomes of hip fracture patients during the pandemic with the preceding year.
Main Methods:
- Hip fracture patients underwent screening at dedicated clinics prior to hospital admission.
- Strict infection control measures were implemented, including mask usage, hand hygiene, and patient distancing.
- Demographic data, operative parameters, and surgical results were collected and compared between pandemic and pre-pandemic cohorts.
Main Results:
- 119 hip fracture patients were treated, with no COVID-19 positive cases identified.
- The mortality rate was 4.2%, with no COVID-19 related deaths.
- Shorter admission-to-surgery intervals and hospital stays, along with increased use of spinal anesthesia, were observed during the pandemic (p=0.008, p=0.002, p=0.011).
Conclusions:
- The implemented COVID-19 screening system effectively prevented intrahospital disease transmission among hip fracture patients.
- Hip fracture surgeries during the pandemic achieved comparable outcomes to the previous year, with no evidence of COVID-19 infection or mortality.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to introduce a screening system for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), to evaluate the overall orthopedic management in hip fracture patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, and to compare the surgical results in hip fracture patients during the COVID-19 pandemic with those of the previous year.
Methods:
Hip fracture patients who visited emergency rooms were screened at the screening clinics before admission. The medical management was carried out with the medical staff wearing surgical masks, meticulous hand hygiene observed, and a minimum distance of 2 m between patients maintained. The demographics, operative parameters, and surgical results of patients treated during the pandemic were compared with those from the previous year.
Results:
From January 2020 to July 21, 2020, 119 patients with hip fractures (33 men and 86 women) were admitted to our institution for surgical treatment. Five patients showed symptoms of pneumonia, but no patient was positive for COVID-19. The mortality rate during the study period was 4.2%, and none of the patients died due to COVID-19. The interval between admission and surgery and the length of hospital stay were significantly shorter (p = 0.008, p = 0.002) and the proportion of spinal anesthesia was greater in hip fracture patients during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those from the previous year (p = 0.011).
Conclusions:
The COVID-19 screening system for hip fracture patients has proven to be effective in preventing intrahospital spread of the disease. Hip fracture surgery performed during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown comparable results without any COVID-19 infection and COVID-19-related mortality.
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