Trauma care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a level 1 trauma multicenter cohort study

Nadia A G Hakkenbrak; Sverre A I Loggers; Eva Lubbers; Jarik de Geus; Stefan F van Wonderen; Eva Berkeveld; Sarah Mikdad; Georgios F Giannakopoulos; Kees J Ponsen; Frank W Bloemers; COVID-trauma collaborator group

doi:10.1186/s13049-021-00942-x

Trauma care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: a level 1 trauma multicenter cohort study

Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2021 Sep 8;29(1):130. doi: 10.1186/s13049-021-00942-x.

Collaborators

COVID-trauma collaborator group:
Lore van Riel, Erik Bakkum, Gulsum Z Nasim, Anneke van den Brink

Affiliations

¹ Department of Trauma Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Room 7F-002, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. n.hakkenbrak@amsterdamumc.nl.
² Trauma Unit, Department of Surgery, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, The Netherlands. n.hakkenbrak@amsterdamumc.nl.
³ Trauma Unit, Department of Surgery, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Trauma Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Room 7F-002, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Purpose: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major healthcare challenges worldwide resulting in an exponential increase in the need for hospital- and intensive care support for COVID-19 patients. As a result, surgical care was restricted to urgent cases of surgery. However, the care for trauma patients is not suitable for reduction or delayed treatment. The influence of the pandemic on the burden of disease of trauma care remains to be elucidated.

Methods: All patients with traumatic injuries that were presented to the emergency departments (ED) of the Amsterdam University Medical Center, Location Academic Medical Center (AMC) and VU medical center (VUMC) and the Northwest Clinics (NWC) between March 10, 2019 and May 10, 2019 (non-COVID) and March 10, 2020 and May 10, 2020 (COVID-19 period) were included. The primary outcome was the difference in ED admissions for trauma patients between the non-COVID and COVID-19 study period. Additionally, patient- and injury characteristics, health care consumption, and 30-day mortality were evaluated.

Results: A 37% reduction of ED admissions for trauma patients was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic (non-COVID n = 2423 and COVID cohort n = 1531). Hospital admission was reduced by 1.6 trauma patients per day. Fewer patients sustained car- and sports-related injuries. Injuries after high energetic trauma were more severe in the COVID-19 period (Injury Severity Score 17.3 vs. 12.0, p = 0.006). Relatively more patients were treated operatively (21.4% vs. 16.6%, p < 0.001) during the COVID-19 period. Upper-(17.6 vs. 12.5%, p = 0.002) and lower extremity injuries (30.7 vs. 23.0%, p = 0.002) mainly accounted for this difference. The 30-day mortality rate was higher during the pandemic (1.0 vs. 2.3%, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: The burden of disease and healthcare consumption of trauma patients remained high during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of this study can be used to optimize the use of hospital capacity and anticipate health care planning in future outbreaks.

Keywords: COVID-19; Emergency department; Injury; Trauma burden.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cohort Studies
Emergency Service, Hospital
Humans
Netherlands / epidemiology
Pandemics*
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Trauma Centers