ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Nov 2020
Safe and rapid implementation of telemedicine fracture clinics: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus disease outbreak in December 2019 rapidly spread around the world with profound effects on healthcare systems. In March 2020, all elective surgery and elective outpatient clinics were cancelled in our institution, a regional hospital in Northern New South Wales, Australia. With regard to orthopaedic fracture clinics, a telehealth system was implemented on an emergency basis for patient and staff safety to prevent disease transmission. The aim of our study was to investigate whether rapid implementation of telehealth for orthopaedic fracture clinics resulted in an increase in complications. ⋯ The study demonstrates that application of telehealth fracture clinics in a regional Australian setting can be achieved without increasing complication rates and can be used to formulate a rapid telehealth implementation plan if a similar scenario occurs in the future.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Nov 2020
Impact of the COVID-19 national lockdown on emergency general surgery: Auckland City Hospital's experience.
The New Zealand Government announced a four-level COVID-19 alert system soon after the first confirmed case in the country. New Zealand moved swiftly to the highest alert level 4, described as lockdown, as the epidemic curve quickly accelerated. Auckland City Hospital saw a temporary change in acute surgical admissions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the national lockdown on emergency general surgery. ⋯ Auckland City Hospital had a decrease in admissions and operations during the COVID-19 lockdown. These findings suggest people with serious pathology were staying at home untreated or being treated in the community. This is a snapshot of our experience in managing emergency general surgical patients in this unusual period.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Nov 2020
Observational StudyImpact of societal restrictions and lockdown on trauma admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a single-centre cross-sectional observational study.
Societal restrictions and lockdown during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have had a significant impact on the volume and nature of trauma admissions. We assessed the impact of COVID-19 related societal restrictions and lockdown on trauma admissions to single level 1 trauma centre in Westmead, Australia. We hypothesized that the number of trauma admissions would decrease and number of admissions due to self-harm and assault (specifically domestic violence) would increase. ⋯ There was a significant decrease in the overall number of trauma-related admissions during the COVID-19-related period of societal restrictions and lockdown. This was due to a decrease in minor traumas, falls and road traffic collisions. There was no difference in the number of admissions secondary to major traumas, self-harm or assault.