TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Trauma visits to a pediatric emergency department during the CoViD-19 quarantine and "stay at home" period JO - American surgeon A1 - Sethuraman, Usha A1 - Kannikeswaran, Nirupama A1 - Singer, Adam A1 - Krouse, Carolyn B. A1 - Cloutier, Dawn A1 - Farooqi, Ahmad A1 - Donoghue, Lydia A1 - Stankovic, Curt SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: Impact of social distancing on pediatric injuries is unknown.

METHODS: We retrospectively compared injury visits to a pediatric emergency department by individuals ≤21 years during "Stay at Home" (SHO) period to the same period in 2019 (non-SHO). Demographics, types, and outcomes of injuries were noted.

RESULTS: Although, there was a 35.6% reduction in trauma-related emergency department visits during SHO period (1226 vs 1904), the proportion of injury visits increased (15.5% vs 8.1%, P <.001) and mean age was lower (5.8 yrs ±4.5 vs 8.4 yrs ± 5.2, P <.001). There were significant increases in visits related to child physical abuse (CPA), firearms, and dog bites. Further, significant increases in trauma alerts (P <.01), injury severity (P <.01), critical care admissions (P <.001), and deaths (P <.01) occurred during the SHO period.

CONCLUSIONS: Although overall trauma-related visits decreased during SHO, the proportion of these visits and their severity increased. Trauma visits related to child physical abuse, dog bites, and firearms increased. Further studies are required to assess the long-term impact of pandemic on pediatric trauma epidemiology.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0003-1348 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00031348211047497 ID - ref1 ER -