|
KMID : 1143020220270010023
|
|
Archives of Hand and Microsurgery
2022 Volume.27 No. 1 p.23 ~ p.32
|
|
|
Impact on the service volume of a single hand surgery center during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Daegu
|
|
Oh Sang-Ho
Kim Young-Woo
Woo Sang-Hyun
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Purpose: We investigated the changes that occurred at single hand surgery center during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Daegu, Korea using patient data from 4 years (2018-2021).
Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study of patients visiting our center during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 22 to May 6, 2020) in comparison to the most recent 4 years from 2018 to 2021. Service volumes (SVs) including the number of in/outpatients, emergency room, elective, and emergency surgeries were analyzed. The demographics, injury mechanism, and place of injury of hand trauma were analyzed in patients seen during the peak period of COVID-19 (February 24 to March 9, 2020) at W Hospital.
Results: SVs were significantly reduced in 2020 as compared with other years. The SVs except for the number of emergency surgeries recovered after 2 months from the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Daegu, Korea. In the peak period, the effect of COVID-19 was weak on emergency room-related SVs. In addition, the daily number of in/outpatients and elective surgeries had a statistically significant negative correlation with the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases (p<0.05). During the peak period, superficial lacerations increased and finger and wrist fractures decreased. The number of cases occurring in the workplace increased; however, the number of cases occurring outside during daily life decreased.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic greatly reduced SVs at our center. A thorough protective strategy from COVID-19 ,such as personal protective equipment, was essential for the early recovery of hospital functions during the pandemic. In addition, emergency room staffing must be preserved under pandemic conditions. The results of our study, which reported SVs through the pandemic, will help promote the sustained function of hand surgery centers.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
COVID-19, Hand surgery, Hand trauma, Service volume, Pandemics
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|
|