• Frederik Trier, Jesper Fjølner, Nikolaj Raaber, Anders H Sørensen, and Hans Kirkegaard.
• Department of Clinical Medicine, Research Center for Emergency Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
• Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2022 Feb 1; 66 (2): 265-272.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic demanded changes in societal behavior and health care worldwide. Previous studies have compared trauma patient admissions in COVID-19-related lockdowns to prior years. This study describes the COVID-19 impact on trauma patient admissions during entire 2020 at a major trauma center in Denmark.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed trauma patients received by a trauma team and admitted at Aarhus University Hospital in 2020 compared with 2018-2019. The incidence of injuries, mechanism of injury, 30-day mortality, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were investigated.ResultsThe incidence of minor injuries (ISS 1-15) increased by 24% in 2020 compared with 2018-2019 (incidence rate ratio 1.24 [95% CI: 1.11-1.39]). The incidence of severe injuries (ISS >15) in 2020 did not change compared with 2018-2019 (incidence rate ratio 0.97 [95% CI: 0.80-1.17]). The 30-day mortality was similar in 2020 compared with 2018-2019. Comparing 2020 with 2018-2019, the risk ratio of traffic injuries decreased (0.90 [95% CI: 0.82-0.99]), risk ratio for fall injuries was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.97-1.30), for violence 1.13 (95% CI: 0.51-2.50), and for self-harm 1.94 (95% CI: 0.95-3.94). During the first lockdown of 2020, trauma team activations declined from 49.5 to 42 and the risk ratio for traffic injuries was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.50-1.10) compared with the same period in 2018-2019.ConclusionThe incidence of minor injuries increased, but the incidence of severe injuries was similar in 2020 compared with 2018-2019. Societal restrictions might alter the mechanism of injuries. The first lockdown indicated an association with reduced traffic injuries.© 2021 Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.

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