@article{ref1,
title="Influence of a stay-at-home order on trauma volume and injury patterns at a level I trauma center in Ohio",
journal="American surgeon",
year="2021",
author="Huang, Gregory S. and Chance, Elisha A. and Dunham, C. Michael",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Changes in injury patterns during the COVID pandemic have been reported in other states. The objective was to explore changes to trauma service volume and admission characteristics at a trauma center in northeast Ohio during a stay-at-home order (SAHO) and compare the 2020 data to historic trauma census data. <br><br>METHODS: Retrospective chart review of adult trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center in northeast Ohio. Trauma admissions from January 21 to July 21, 2020 (COVID period) were compared to date-matched cohorts of trauma admissions from 2018 to 2019 (historic period). The COVID period was further categorized as pre-SAHO, active-SAHO, and post-SAHO. <br><br>RESULTS: The SAHO was associated with a reduction in trauma center admissions that increased after the SAHO (P =.0033). Only outdoor recreational vehicle (ORV) injuries (P =.0221) and self-inflicted hanging (P =.0028) mechanisms were increased during the COVID period and had substantial effect sizes. Glasgow Coma Scores were lower during the COVID period (P =.0286) with a negligible effect size. Violence-related injuries, injury severity, mortality, and admission characteristics including alcohol and drug testing and positivity were similar in the COVID and historic periods. <br><br>DISCUSSION: The SAHO resulted in a temporary decrease in trauma center admissions. Although ORV and hanging mechanisms were increased, other mechanisms such as alcohol and toxicology proportions, injury severity, length of stay, and mortality were unchanged.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0003-1348",
doi="10.1177/00031348211047488",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00031348211047488"
}