Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic in German Trauma Centres and Geriatric Trauma Centres DGU

Abstract

Background The COVID 19 pandemic is a major challenge to all social systems, particularly the healthcare system. Within an international study, German Trauma Centres DGU and Geriatric Trauma Centres DGU have been questioned about their situation. Method The questionnaire was translated from English into German and sent to all contacts. The evaluation was performed descriptively. Results 71 of 692 centres participated in this study. Government instructions to avoid elective treatments have been adhered to by 68% of the hospitals, and the remaining performed only urgent elective treatments. There was also a decline in the number of traumatological patients. In more than 90% of the hospitals, only 0 – 4% of all patients treated for proximal femur fracture were tested positive for COVID-19. It appears that 84% of these hospitals have or will have financial deficits. Almost all hospitals were organised and ready to fight the pandemic with their personal and/or infrastructural resources they possess. Conclusion Our questionnaire shows that the pandemic had an enormous effect on Trauma Centres DGU and Geriatric Trauma Centres DGU. The hospitals expect financial losses. Almost all the hospitals have provided personal and infrastructural resources to be used in the fight against the pandemic with a better outcome in Germany in comparison with international standards.

COVID-19 and Proximal Femur Fracture in Older Adults—A Lethal Combination? An Analysis of the Registry for Geriatric Trauma (ATR-DGU)

“…It is commonly agreed that fractures of the proximal femur should be treated within 24 hours. In the context of COVID-19, the logistical challenges for hospitals in guaranteeing immediate surgery are considerable, 13,14 and as a matter of current debate, the influence of the best time to surgery remains unknown. 15e18 Our data showed no difference in time to surgery, and hospitals were able to provide surgery within 24 hours for most patients (77.9% and 74%), independently of whether they had tested positive or negative (P ¼ .436).…”

Effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on orthopedic trauma patients presenting in the emergency department of a maximum care hospital and level 1 trauma center

“…In contrast, a study by Kuhlen et al, which analyzed the data of the optional external quality program IQM found a decrease of femoral neck fractures of nearly 24% and of trochanteric femur fractures of nearly 19% [11]. This is also supported by the results of Schoeneberg et al They conducted an online survey of all registered German Trauma Centers and Geriatric Trauma Centers [12]. These results do not only represent results from maximum care hospitals and Level 1 hospitals, but from all levels of health care in Germany.…”

Einfluss der COVID-19-Pandemie auf die Frakturepidemiologie am Beispiel der Tibiaplateaufraktur

“…Diese Schritte führten u. a. zu einem immensen Rückgang der Operationen im Bereich der Unfallchirurgie/Orthopädie [ 5 , 8 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 23 ]. Einzelne Arbeiten zeigen jedoch bereits, dass nicht nur die Zahl der elektiven Operationen zurückgegangen ist, sondern auch die konservativen Therapien von Frakturen während der Pandemiezeit zugenommen haben [ 18 ]. Weiterhin beschreiben mehrere Autoren nach Auswertung von medizinischen Fallzahlen in deutschen Kliniken einen Rückgang verschiedener Frakturinzidenzen [ 11 , 18 ].…”