Impact of COVID-19 on Orthopaedic Care and Practice: A Rapid Review.
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ABSTRACT: Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a large body of literature regarding the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedic care and practice. This rapid review aims to synthesize this published literature to give the orthopaedic fraternity an overview about the best practices that need to be followed during this period.Methodology
A rapid review was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement for rapid reviews on the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedic care and practice. A Pubmed search was done to identify all literature related to the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedic care and practice, published between December 2019 and October 2020 using a predefined search strategy. The final review included 375 peer-reviewed articles addressing the objectives.Results
The majority of articles were expert opinions ( 37.1%) and narrative reviews (13.1%). There were 17.3% retrospective studies and 2.1% prospective studies with only one randomized control trial and ten systematic reviews. 83.8% of articles had levels of evidence IV and V, 79.5% of the articles were published in core-orthopaedic journals. Maximum publications were from the United States of America (31.7%), followed by India (11.5%). European countries together contributed to 32.0% of all publications.Conclusion
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all aspects of orthopaedic care and practice. The pandemic has affected outpatient clinics, emergency and elective surgery, rehabilitation, resident training, personnel management, use of personal protective equipment, telemedicine and all sub-specialities of orthopaedics. Orthopaedic practice will require the incorporation of new technologies, restructuring of health systems and reorganizing of training programs for optimal patient care. There would also be a need for frequent review of emerging literature to provide evidence-based guidelines to the orthopaedic fraternity which will not only help in mitigation of transmission of disease but also ensure continuity of optimum patient care.Supplementary information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-021-00354-0.
SUBMITTER: Chatterji G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7980796 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in the lives of the general population. People with physical disabilities, who commonly encounter daily challenges such as barriers to community mobility, reduced access to healthcare services and higher risk of suffering from depression, may face additional challenges in the context of the pandemic.ObjectiveThis study aims to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated isolation and protective measures, among people with physical disabilities.MethodsA rapid review of the published literature was conducted on August 10, 2020 through a search in six online databases to synthesize results from original studies regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with physical disabilities. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used to describe the population and the personal and environmental factors with a unified and standard health language.ResultsEleven records were extracted from 1621 individual papers retrieved from the search strategy. Various impacts on daily functioning such as a decrease in access to healthcare have been noted during the pandemic. Changes in social and lifestyle habits, mood changes and decreased levels of physical activity were also noted.ConclusionsOur results highlighted the lack of early research about the impacts of COVID-19 experienced by people with physical disabilities. Future studies should focus on specific consequences and needs of this vulnerable population to ensure their inclusion in public health recommendations and consideration by policy makers.
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Project description:BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) placed unprecedented pressure on the healthcare system. Many institutions implemented a government-mandated restructured set of safety and administrative protocols to treat urgent orthopaedic trauma patients. The objective of this study was to compare two cohorts of patients, a COVID group and non-COVID control group, and to evaluate the effectiveness of safety measures outlined in the Rutgers Orthopaedic Trauma Patient Safety Protocol (ROTPSP). Secondary outcomes were to elucidate risk factors for complications associated with fractures and COVID-19.MethodsPatients treated for orthopaedic traumatic injuries were retrospectively identified between March and May 2020, and compared to a series of patients from the same time period in 2018. Main outcome measures included surgical site infections (SSI), length of stay (LOS), post-operative LOS (poLOS), presentation to OR time (PORT), and length of surgery.ResultsAfter review, 349 patients (201 non-COVID, 148 COVID) undergoing 426 surgeries were included. Average LOS (11.91 days vs. 9.27 days, p = 0.04), poLOS (9.68 days vs. 7.39 days, p = 0.03), and PORT (30.56 vs. 25.59 h, p < 0.01) was significantly shorter in the COVID cohort. There were less SSI in the COVID group (5) compared to the non-COVID group (14) (p = 0.03). Overall complications were significantly lower in the COVID group. Patients receiving Cepheid tests had significantly shorter LOS and poLOS compared to patients receiving the RNA and DiaSorin tests (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). The Cepheid test carried the best benefit-to-cost ratio, 0.10, p < 0.05.ConclusionThe restructuring of care protocols caused by COVID-19 did not negatively impact perioperative complication rates, PORT or LOS. Cepheid COVID test type administered upon admission plays an integral role in a patient's hospital course by reducing both length of stay and hospital costs. This information demonstrates we can continue to treat orthopaedic trauma patients safely during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing strict safety protocols.
| S-EPMC8088543 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused substantial disruptions to orthopaedic and trauma services. The purpose of the present study was to quantify its impact on surgical volume, hospitalizations, clinic appointments, and accident and emergency attendances to guide staffing and resource deployment for the sustenance of emergency services.MethodsData were retrieved from all 43 Hong Kong public hospitals and 122 outpatient clinics from a population of 7.5 million residents. The "COVID-19 cohort" of patients who received treatment from January 25 to March 27, 2020, was compared with the "control cohort" of patients who received treatment during the same time of year over the past 4 years. Primary outcomes consisted of changes in patient diagnoses, number of operations performed, and hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary outcomes included differences in patient age and comorbidity, the nature of operations performed, types of anesthesia for orthopaedic procedures, difference in anesthetic times, wait times, and personal protective equipment (PPE) reserves.ResultsA total of 928,278 patient-episodes (32,613 operations, 97,648 hospital admissions, 302,717 accident and emergency attendances, and 495,300 outpatient clinic attendances) were analyzed. Orthopaedic operations were reduced by 44.2%, from a mean (and standard deviation) of 795 ± 115.1 to 443.6 ± 25.8 per week (p < 0.001), with the ratio of emergency to elective operations increasing from 1.27:1 to 3.78:1. Operations for the treatment of upper and lower-limb fractures decreased by 23% (from 98.5 ± 14 to 75.9 ± 15.2 per week; p < 0.001) and 20% (from 210.6 ± 29.5 to 168.4 ± 16.9 per week; p < 0.001), respectively, whereas elective joint replacement and ligamentous reconstruction procedures decreased by 74% to 84% (p < 0.001). Operations for orthopaedic infections such as necrotizing fasciitis and septic arthritis remained similar (p > 0.05). The number of hospitalizations decreased by 41.2% (from 2,365 ± 243 to 1,391 ± 53 per week; p < 0.001), whereas clinical outpatient visits decreased by 29.4% (from 11,693 ± 2,240 to 8,261 ± 1,104 per week; p < 0.001). Patients did not endure longer wait times for emergency operations and accident and emergency consultations (p > 0.05). PPE consumption did not exceed procurement, with net increases in PPE reserves.ConclusionsDemand for orthopaedic care remains, despite weekly reductions of 351 orthopaedic operations, 974 hospital admissions, and 3,432 clinic attendances. Orthopaedic surgeons and health-care professionals should factor this into consideration during staffing and resource deployment.Level of evidencePrognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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