How SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Changed Traumatology and Hospital Setting: An Analysis of 498 Fractured Patients

Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is one of the biggest challenges for many health systems in the world, making lots of them overwhelmed by the enormous pressure to manage patients. We reported our Institutional Experience, with specific aims to describe the distribution and type of treated injuries, and the organizational setup of our hospital. Methods: Data of fractured patients admitted for surgical treatment in the time frames 9 March 2020–4 May 2020 and 1 March 2019–31 May 2019 were collected and compared. Furthermore, surgery duration and some parameters of effectiveness in health management were compared. Results: A total of 498 patients were included. Mean age significantly lower age in 2019 and femoral fractures were significantly more frequent 2020. Mean surgery time was significantly longer in 2020. Mortality rate difference between the two years was found to be statistically significant. Time interval between diagnosis and surgery and between diagnosis and discharge/decease was significantly lower in 2020. In 2020, no patient admitted with a negative swab turned positive in any of the following tests for SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has modified the epidemiology of hospitalized patients for traumatic reasons, leading to an increased admission of older patients with femoral fractures. Nevertheless, our institutional experience showed that an efficient change in the hospital organization, with an improvement of several parameters of effectiveness in health management, led to a null infection rate between patients.

Keywords

• SARS-CoV-2
• fractures
• traumatology
• hospital setting
• health care management