Experiences from a non-COVID hub referral orthopedic trauma hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

Abstract

<p><strong>Background:</strong> During the COVID-19 pandemic period, resources should be reorganized to treat the increased burden of COVID-positive patients under the best conditions while simultaneously providing non-deferrable treatment to patients with no suspicion of COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to analyse the trauma patient profile and treatment strategies that emerged in the regional orthopaedic and traumatology hospital during the pandemic period after the implementation of “hub and spoke” organization among the orthopaedic and traumatology clinics.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> This cross-observational study was conducted in a training and research hospital in the field of orthopaedics and traumatology that was converted to a non-COVID referral orthopaedic trauma center during the pandemic. Gender, age, length of hospitalization, duration of trauma, place of trauma, severity of trauma, type of admission, type of anaesthesia and site of trauma were evaluated in the patients that presented between March 16 and May 16, 2020.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Of the orthopaedic trauma patients requiring surgery, 169 (62.6%) were men and 101 (37.4%) were women. In comparison of the data with that of the last year, significant increases were observed in the number of home traumas (241.5%), low-energy traumas (87.4%), patients referred from other institutions (328.9%), regional anaesthesia patients (124.2%) and patients with hip traumas (226.7%). The length of hospitalization decreased significantly (p<0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The creation of hub and spoke organization through the cooperation of orthopaedics and traumatology clinics in the region can reduce the burden on pandemic hospitals by isolating trauma patients requiring orthopaedic surgery who were not suspected of COVID-19 and directing them to dedicated orthopaedics and traumatology hospital.</p>