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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the length of management of polytraumatized patients in the emergency department
, 3, 4, 25, 12, 12
Affiliations- Osijek University Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Department of Emergency Medicine of Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek, Croatia
- Community Health Center of Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek, Croatia
- Osijek University Hospital, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Osijek, Croatia
open access
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The personal protective equipment used by healthcare workers and special institutional protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially slow down the usual management of trauma patients. To examine the difference in the length of management of polytraumatized patients in the emergency department (ED) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was designed as a case-control study and included 52 polytraumatized patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after being managed in the ED of Osijek University Hospital. Data were collected from the hospital information system and included patients from March 2019 to February 2020 (pre-pandemic group) and from March 2020 to February 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic group).
RESULTS: Differences in the duration of diagnostics in the ED, the duration of surgery, and the time required for admission to the ICU before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. The duration of diagnostics of polytraumatized patients in the ED before vs during the pandemic was 98 (76–120) and 92 (68–167) minutes, p = 0.79, respectively. 16 (64%) patients in the pre-pandemic and 18 (67%) in the pandemic group needed emergency surgery. The time required for admission to the ICU from the beginning of management in the ED, after accounting for the duration of surgery was 128 (91.5–208.5) and 145 (110–755) minutes, p = 0.09, in pre-pandemic vs pandemic group, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant impact on the length of management for polytraumatized patients admitted to the ICU.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The personal protective equipment used by healthcare workers and special institutional protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially slow down the usual management of trauma patients. To examine the difference in the length of management of polytraumatized patients in the emergency department (ED) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was designed as a case-control study and included 52 polytraumatized patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after being managed in the ED of Osijek University Hospital. Data were collected from the hospital information system and included patients from March 2019 to February 2020 (pre-pandemic group) and from March 2020 to February 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic group).
RESULTS: Differences in the duration of diagnostics in the ED, the duration of surgery, and the time required for admission to the ICU before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. The duration of diagnostics of polytraumatized patients in the ED before vs during the pandemic was 98 (76–120) and 92 (68–167) minutes, p = 0.79, respectively. 16 (64%) patients in the pre-pandemic and 18 (67%) in the pandemic group needed emergency surgery. The time required for admission to the ICU from the beginning of management in the ED, after accounting for the duration of surgery was 128 (91.5–208.5) and 145 (110–755) minutes, p = 0.09, in pre-pandemic vs pandemic group, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant impact on the length of management for polytraumatized patients admitted to the ICU.
Keywords
COVID-19; pandemic; polytrauma; emergency medicine; intensive care
About this articleTitle
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the length of management of polytraumatized patients in the emergency department
Journal
Disaster and Emergency Medicine Journal
Issue
Article type
Research paper
Pages
151-156
Published online
2023-07-25
Page views
206
Article views/downloads
243
DOI
10.5603/DEMJ.a2023.0026
Bibliographic record
Disaster Emerg Med J 2023;8(3):151-156.
Keywords
COVID-19
pandemic
polytrauma
emergency medicine
intensive care
Authors
Nenad Neskovic
Davor Klepo
Tamara Janosevic
Josip Kocur
Dino Budrovac
Ivana Harsanji Drenjancevic
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