Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34013547›Full record

ArticleANZ journal of surgery2021

Increased orthopaedic presentations as a result of COVID-19-related social restrictions in a regional setting, despite local and global trends.

Elise Woo, Ariella Jessica Smith, Dominic Mah, Benjamin Francis Pfister, Herwig Drobetz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ANZ journal of surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Elise WooOrthopaedic Department, Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore, New South Wales, 2480, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7047-360X
Ariella Jessica SmithOrthopaedic Department, Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore, New South Wales, 2480, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0479-9070
Dominic MahSchool of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2988-4180
Benjamin Francis PfisterOrthopaedic Department, Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore, New South Wales, 2480, Australia.
Herwig DrobetzOrthopaedic Department, Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore, New South Wales, 2480, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the utilisation of emergency department (ED) services worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19-related public health measures on orthopaedic presentations to a regional Australian hospital.

methodsA case-control study was performed at a regional trauma hospital in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data was collected prospectively from patients that required orthopaedic review in the period corresponding to a declaration of a global pandemic to the end of the NSW lockdown, and compared with retrospective data from the corresponding period in 2019. The five-year average of orthopaedic presentations to ED during the study period were obtained for comparison. The primary outcomes were overall number of presentations, mechanism and anatomical location of injuries, operative versus non-operative management and disposition.

resultsDuring the study period in 2020, presentations requiring orthopaedic review were significantly more frequent than 2019 (496 vs. 280, p < 0.0001), with more requiring admission in 2020 (p < 0.0001). The absolute number of patients managed operatively was higher (p = 0.0002) and significantly more patients were referred for community follow-up (p < 0.0001). There was a 20% increase of consults in 2020 compared to the average number of referrals during the same period in the previous five years.

conclusionsContrary to other published literature, lockdown conditions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surprising 77% increase in orthopaedic presentations to this regional Australian hospital. These findings can be used to better direct resources, preparation and staff education in the current and for future pandemics.

Indexed as

COVID-19OrthopedicsAustraliaCase-Control StudiesCommunicable Disease ControlEmergency Service, HospitalHumansPandemicsRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2COVID-19emergencyorthopaedicsregionalruraltrauma

Identifiers

PMID34013547
PMCPMC8222891

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.