Operative Treatment of Patients with Fractures During COVID-19

Abstract

Objective: The epidemic of COVID-19 virus in Serbia began on March 6, 2020 with the first confirmed positive test. The pandemic affected all spheres of life, especially the functioning of the health system. The newly introduced measures in the fight against the spread of the epidemic in Serbia included a curfew lasting 54 days, as well as limited working hours of state services, catering and sports facilities and a ban on mass gatherings of the population. As the introduced measures significantly affected the freedom of movement and activity of the population, the aim of this paper was to compare the distribution of fractures that were operatively cared for at our Clinic with the same period in 2019. Methods: The observed period in both years lasted from March 6 to December 31. There were 651 operated trauma patients in 2019 and 630 in 2020. Patients were divided into groups of fractures based on their anatomical localization. Groups were then compared in number of patients, as well as the age and sex distribution. Results: Our results showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the total number of operated patients in the two observed time intervals. The most common were fractures of the trochanteric region and fractures of the lower leg with almost identical age and sex distribution. Only the number of malleolar fractures and proximal humerus fractures showed a significant decline in the pandemic year. Conclusion: Despite the difficult working conditions in the newly emerging epidemiological situation, the scope of traumatological activities of our Clinic has remained almost unchanged. Approximately identical number of operated trauma patients in the two observed intervals indicates that most of our patients suffer injuries during daily activities at home, which were not affected by restriction of movement and other pandemic conditions.