The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on referral characteristics in a national tertiary spinal injuries unit

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had profound implications on healthcare institutions. Aims This study aims to assess and compare referral patterns during COVID-19 to corresponding dates for the preceding 3 years (2017–2019), in order to preemptively coordinate the logistics of the surgical unit for similar future experiences. Methods Retrospective review for our institution, a national tertiary referral centre for spine pathology. Two distinct time-points were chosen to represent the varied levels of social restriction during the current pandemic: (i) study period 1 (SP1) from 11 November 2020 to 08 June 2020 represents a national lockdown, and (ii) study period 2 (SP2) from 09 June 2020 to 09 September 2020 indicates an easing of restrictions. Both periods were compared to corresponding dates (CP1: 11 March–08 June and CP2 09 June–09 September) for the preceding 3 years (2017–2019). Data collected included age, gender, and mechanism of injury (MOI) for descriptive analyses. MOIs were categorised into disc disease, cyclist, road-traffic-accident (RTA), falls < 2 m, falls > 2 m, malignancy, sporting injuries, and miscellaneous. Results All MOI categories witnessed a reduction in referral numbers during SP1: disc disease (−29%), cyclist (−5%), RTAs (−66%), falls < 2 m (−39%), falls > 2 m (−17%), malignancy (−33%), sporting injuries (−100%), and miscellaneous (−58%). Four of 8 categories (RTAs, falls < 2 m, malignancy, miscellaneous) showed a trend towards return of pre-lockdown values during SP2. Two categories (disc disease, falls > 2 m) showed a further reduction (−34%, −27%) during SP2. One category (sporting injuries) portrayed a complete return to normal values during SP2 while a notable increase in cyclist-related referrals was witnessed (+ 63%) when compared with corresponding dates of previous years. Conclusion Spinal injury continues to occur across almost all categories, albeit at considerably reduced numbers. RTAs and falls remained the most common MOI. Awareness needs to be drawn to the reduction of malignancy-related referrals to dissuade people with such symptoms from avoiding presentation to hospital over periods of social restrictions..

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:191

Enthalten in:

Irish journal of medical science - 191(2021), 3 vom: 11. Juni, Seite 991-996

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

O’Halloran, Louis [VerfasserIn]
Ahern, Daniel P. [VerfasserIn]
McDonnell, Jake M. [VerfasserIn]
Cunniffe, Gráinne M. [VerfasserIn]
Dodds, Michael K. [VerfasserIn]
Lyons, Frank [VerfasserIn]
Cassidy, Noelle [VerfasserIn]
Timlin, Marcus [VerfasserIn]
Morris, Seamus [VerfasserIn]
Synnott, Keith [VerfasserIn]
Butler, Joseph S. [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext [kostenfrei]

BKL:

44.03$jMethoden und Techniken der Medizin

Themen:

COVID-19
Coronavirus
Referrals
SARS-CoV-2
Spinal injury
Spine surgery

Anmerkungen:

© The Author(s) 2021

doi:

10.1007/s11845-021-02678-0

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

OLC2130680577

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