COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns sharply increased

Key takeaways

• Regardless of regional variations in COVID-19-related restrictions, developments in trauma heart exercise adopted comparable patterns in 4 trauma facilities in several areas of the US.
• Trauma instances involving bicycle-related accidents elevated 100%, and gunshot wounds elevated 23.5 p.c, throughout lockdown.
• Examine findings point out allocating extra assets for wellness could also be a precedence in future pandemic-related lockdowns.

CHICAGO: Regardless of regional variations in COVID-19-related restrictions final 12 months throughout the lockdown section of the pandemic, comparable developments emerged in exercise at Degree I trauma facilities in 4 totally different cities from the Southeast to the Northwest, based on analysis offered on the digital American Faculty of Surgeons (ACS) Scientific Congress 2021.

The info might assist inform public coverage decision-making for the following pandemic, research authors stated.

A retrospective evaluate of 27,652 trauma instances from 2019 to 2020 at 4 Degree I trauma facilities in Orange County, California; Portland, Oregon; Miami, Florida; and Tulsa, Oklahoma, discovered that general exercise adopted comparable patterns in these areas, with instances for motorized vehicle collisions declining whereas these for gunshot wounds and bicycle accidents elevated considerably.

“We have been attempting to evaluate if the totally different variations in COVID-19 shutdowns throughout the nation affected developments,” stated presenter Leonardo Alaniz, a third-year medical scholar on the College of California, Irvine. The findings bore out the research speculation—that trauma facilities in 4 totally different cities with totally different ranges of pandemic restrictions demonstrated comparable trauma case patterns.

“General, what we found is that there was a considerable enhance in bicycle-related trauma charges of about 100%,” he stated (p < 0.01). “We additionally noticed a rise in gunshot wounds (GSW) by about 23.5 p.c. Nonetheless, we did see a considerable discount in motorized vehicle crash (MVC)-related trauma charges, about 12.7 p.c.” (p values for each GSW and MVC-related trauma are <0.01.)

The development for GSW was considerably surprising, senior creator Cristobal Barrios, Jr., MD, FACS, stated. “We thought we’d see an uptick within the proportion of GSW given the odds of MVC have been down and the odds would possibly have to go as much as cowl that mechanism of damage; however we have been mildly stunned that not solely did the proportion go up, however the precise uncooked numbers of gun accidents went up,” stated Dr. Barrios, a well being sciences scientific professor in surgical procedure and assistant dean of admissions at UC Irvine. “That was true throughout all of the trauma facilities that contributed information to the research.”

Whereas the proportion adjustments in these three metrics different among the many particular person facilities, the general developments adopted the identical sample. The adjustments at every particular person web site are:

• In Orange County, GSW elevated 55 p.c (p < 0.01), MVC decreased 10.2 p.c (p < 0.01), and bicycle accidents elevated 30.8 p.c (p = 0.01).
• In Portland, GSW elevated 48.4 p.c (p < 0.01), MVC decreased 21.5 p.c (p < 0.01), and bicycle accidents elevated 296.2 p.c (p < 0.01).
• In Tulsa, GSW elevated 22.2 p.c (p = 0.06), MVC decreased 5.1 p.c (p = 0.39), and bicycle accidents elevated 18.2 p.c (p = 0.45).
• In Miami, GSW elevated 20.9 p.c (p = 0.01), MVC decreased 14.5 p.c (p < 0.01), and bicycle accidents elevated 2.6 p.c (p = 0.08).

Dr. Barrios stated the developments in MVC- and bicycle-related accidents throughout lockdown are comprehensible. “Folks weren’t going wherever for any actual giant distances as a result of there was nowhere to go throughout lockdown, however possibly they have been using their bicycles to get round a bit bit, to get some train, and to get out of the home,” Dr. Barrios stated. In June 2020, bicycle gross sales elevated 63 p.c over the identical interval in 2019, the market analysis agency NPD gGroup, Inc. reported.^*

These findings might assist clinicians and coverage makers to higher put together if pandemic-related restrictions are obligatory sooner or later, Dr. Barrios stated.

“We did this analysis to make clear what to anticipate throughout any attainable subsequent lockdown for a pandemic and the place to probably put assets for clinicians by way of what sorts of accidents would possibly current and that may enhance or lower,” he stated. “Tailoring assets was one level.”

One of many take-home findings, Dr. Barrios famous, was that extra assets must be utilized to addressing problems with wellness, particularly stress discount and psychological well being. “That is perhaps why individuals have been utilizing bicycles extra; to get out and get train and cut back their stress,” he stated.

Mr. Alaniz added, “One other large contributor can be to have extra inexperienced areas in these communities—areas the place individuals can exit and train in a protected surroundings. That will additionally play an enormous function in preserving the psychological well being of our communities.”

Examine coauthors are Juan P. Hoyos and Erika Tay Lasso, MD, of the UC Irvine Division of Surgical procedure; Shevonne Satahoo, MD, of Jackson Memorial Miller Faculty of Drugs, Miami; Gajal Kumar, MD, FACS, of Ascension Medical Group St. John Medical Heart, Tulsa; and Megan Lundeberg, MD, of Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Well being Heart, Portland.

“FACS” designates {that a} surgeon is a Fellow of the American Faculty of Surgeons.

The research authors don’t have any related monetary relationships to reveal.

Quotation: Alaniz L, et al. The Impact of Coronavirus Shutdowns on Nationwide Trauma Patterns. Scientific Discussion board Presentation. American Faculty of Surgeons Scientific Congress. 2021.
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^*Schwinn shifts advertising gears as bike using surges throughout the coronavirus disaster. CNBC. Obtainable at: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/29/coronavirus-bike-sales-surge-schwinn-pivots-marketing-plan.html (.) Accessed September 30, 2021.

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Concerning the American Faculty of Surgeons
The American Faculty of Surgeons is a scientific and academic group of surgeons that was based in 1913 to lift the requirements of surgical follow and enhance the standard of look after all surgical sufferers. The Faculty is devoted to the moral and competent follow of surgical procedure. Its achievements have considerably influenced the course of scientific surgical procedure in America and have established it as an necessary advocate for all surgical sufferers. The Faculty has greater than 84,000 members and is the biggest group of surgeons on this planet. For extra info, go to www.facs.org.