The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Orthopaedic Surgery Hospital Admissions and Workload in a Major Trauma Center

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to important restrictions in social life of civilians worldwide and there were lower admission rates mainly in surgical departments in many hospitals. This study presents how COVID-19 pandemic affected admissions at the orthopaedic and trauma surgery department of a major trauma center. A retrospective study was conducted that recorded all patients examined at the outpatient orthopaedic clinic and the emergency orthopaedic department, as well as patients admitted to the orthopaedic surgery clinic and patients that underwent operative procedures between March 23 and May 4, 2020 (first lockdown period) and between March 23 and May 4, 2019 (control period). In addition, all patients with hip fractures that required hospitalization and underwent hip surgery were identified during the same time periods. During lockdown period 1 compared with the lock-down period 2 were observed: 70% and 61% decrease in the number of patients examined at the outpatient clinic and the emergency orthopaedic department respectively. The number of patients admitted to the orthopaedic surgery clinic declined by 41%, whereas operative procedures decreased by 22%. Regarding hip fractures timing to surgery during the first period was significantly less compared with second lockdown period, however, hospitalization days remained almost unchanged over the two time lockdown periods. Restrictions during the first lockdown period due to COVID-19 pandemic caused an important decrease in the number of patients and theaters in all orthopaedic departments in one of the major trauma centers in Athens. However, the incidence of hip fractures in elderly was not significantly decreased. Further similar studies are needed to identify variations and patterns of these parameters in other trauma centers.