The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients with Trauma Presented to the Emergency Department: A Multicentre Experience in Istanbul

Objective: This study examines the characteristics of patients with trauma who presented to the emergency department before and after the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and analyze the effects on the traumatic injuries.Methods: In this study, medical records of patients who presented to the emergency departments of seven hospitals operating as tertiary level hospitals in Istanbul between March-June 2018, March-June 2019, and March-June 2020 are due to trauma were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical and demographic characteristics of traumatic injuries before and after the pandemic were compared.Results: In our study, 4088 trauma patients' data were reviewed: 1279 in March-June 2018, 1684 in March-June 2019, and 1125 in March-June 2020. When the total number of patients was examined, it was noticed that the number of patients decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. No significant difference was found between the periods regarding the sex and trauma mechanisms of the patients. The mean age was higher in patients admitted in 2020 compared to previous years. In our study, incidences of intracranial hemorrhage, femur fracture, lung injuries, and mortality rates were higher in March-June 2020 compared to previous years.Conclusion: In March-June 2020, compared to the previous year, there was a 34% decrease in trauma cases admitted to the emergency department. Albeit no difference was found between the periods regarding trauma mechanisms, the higher mortality in the March-June 2020 period indicates that trauma continues to be one of the major causes of death despite the pandemic.