|
Abstract
|
Italian government have declared lockdown measures and a closure of shops and businesses since 9th March 2020 to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.
The situation of the contagion due to the epidemic of COVID-19 in Italy on 9th April 2020 reported the following data: 143,626 total cases of which 18,279 dead, 28,470 healed, 96,877 positive cases. Of positive cases 32,004 were hospitalized in intensive care (ICU) units and COVID-19 wards. In Marche region, where the hospitals mentioned below are located, on 9th April 2020, 3401 total positive cases were reported, of which 1078 were admitted to the wards indicated.
Italian National Health Service was faced with a sudden influx of patients needing hospitalization due to the respiratory complication of COVID-19. One of the measures adopted was to reduce as much as possible surgical activity to give priority to trauma and urgent surgery by prohibiting the execution of any elective surgery and outpatient activity. The reasons are to be found in the rationalization of the personnel in favor of emergency departments, ICU and brand new departments used to treat COVID-19 affected patients, and to limit the flow of visitors in the hospital that could be a source of contagion for healthcare staff and patients. Emergency and urgent surgery (orthopedics and others) were guaranted despite epidemic.
Comparing the same periods in 2019 and 2020, it can be seen how the COVID-19 outbreak had a relevant impact on orthopedic surgical treatments, its frequency, type of fracture, anatomical location involved.
From 9th March to 9th April 2019 in two hospitals of Marche region (Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Ascoli Piceno, Level 1 trauma center and Clinical Orthopaedics, Ancona, Level 2 trauma center) a total of 159 orthopaedics surgeries were performed, while in 2020 a total of 74 orthopaedics surgeries were carried out...
Language: en |