Changing Patterns of Pediatric Trauma During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The implementation of lockdown and social distancing policies at the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed both the nature of pediatric traumatic injuries and how those injuries were managed by pediatric trauma centers. At the start of the pandemic, the number of injured children evaluated at trauma centers decreased. Trauma volumes have since rebounded, and a concerning increase in abuse-related injuries has been seen. Pediatric trauma systems responded to the pandemic with new approaches to protect health care providers, conserve critical resources, and assist adult trauma systems overburdened by patients with COVID-19. The widespread effect of COVID-19 continues to have significant repercussions on children's health, but the lessons learned and gaps exposed by the pandemic may be an opportunity to positively transform injury prevention and health care delivery. .