AI Article Synopsis
- The study assessed the impact of community lockdowns on trauma-related hospital admissions in Midland, New Zealand, during February to July 2020, comparing it to the previous three years.
- There was a significant 36.7% decrease in injury admissions during the strict lockdown phase (Alert Level 4), although admissions rose by 17.8% before lockdown and rebounded after restrictions were lifted.
- Notably, injuries occurring at home and on footpaths increased, while injuries on roads, at schools, and in sports areas declined; falls remained the leading cause of hospitalization.
Article Abstract
Aim: To assess the effects of the community lockdown phases on trauma-related admissions to Midland region hospitals over the period 15 February to 10 July 2020, and to compare volume variation with the same period in the previous three years.
Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study of prospectively collected data from the Midland Trauma Registry in New Zealand.
Results: There was a 36.7% (p<.00001) reduction in injury admissions during Alert Level 4 ('Lockdown') compared with the same period in 2017, 2018 and 2019. This was in the context of volume increases during the pre-lockdown period (17.8%, p<.00001) and a 'rebound' as restrictions eased. There was an increase in injuries occurring at home (28.3%, p<.00001) and on footpaths (37.9%, p=0.00076), while there was a decline in events on roads (33.0%, p=0.017), at schools (75.0%, p<.00001) and in sports areas (79.7%, p<.00001). Falls remained the dominant mechanism of injury in 2020, contributing 39.9% of all hospitalisations.
Conclusions: The reduction in hospital admissions during alert levels 4 and 3 was short lived, with a rebound evident when restrictions eased. Hospital resources have been strained because this rebound coincided with a planned 'catch up' on healthcare that was delayed during the higher community restriction levels.
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