@article{ref1,
title="The influence of a statewide "Stay-at-Home" order on trauma volume and patterns at a level 1 trauma center in the united states",
journal="Injury",
year="2020",
author="Leichtle, Stefan W. and Rodas, Edgar B. and Procter, Levi and Bennett, Jonathan and Schrader, Robin and Aboutanos, Michel B.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="The COVID pandemic of 2020 resulted in unprecedented restrictions of public life in most countries around the world, and many hospital systems experienced dramatic decreases in non-COVID related patient admissions.   We aimed to compare trauma volumes, patient characteristics, and trauma mechanisms at a large, urban Level 1 trauma center in the United States during a state-wide &quot;State of Emergency&quot; and &quot;stay-at-home&quot; order to corresponding historic dates.   All adult trauma activations from March 1 through April 30, 2020 and a historic control from March 1 through April 30, 2018 and 2019 were reviewed in the institution's trauma registry. Trauma volumes, patient characteristics, and trauma mechanisms were compared over time as increasingly stricter COVID-related restrictions were enacted in the Commonwealth of Virginia.   After declaration of a state-wide &quot;Public Health Emergency&quot; on March 17, 2020, the daily number of trauma activations significantly declined to a mean of 4.7 (standard deviation, SD = 2.6), a decrease by 43% from a mean of 8.2 (SD = 0.3) for the same dates in 2018 and 2019. Trauma activations during COVID restrictions vs. historic control were characterized by significantly higher prevalence of chronic alcohol use (15.5% vs. 6.8%, p < 0.01), higher median (25th - 75th percentile) Injury Severity Score of 9 (5 - 16) vs. 6 (4 - 14), p = 0.01, and shorter median (25th - 75th percentile) length of hospital stay of 2 (1 - 6) days vs. 3 (1 - 7) days, p = 0.03.   The COVID-related Public Health Emergency and &quot;stay-at-home&quot; order in the Commonwealth of Virginia dramatically reduced overall trauma volumes with minor but interesting changes in trauma patterns.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0020-1383",
doi="10.1016/j.injury.2020.08.014",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2020.08.014"
}