Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Activity of a Public Orthopedics and Traumatology Service: Our Insights After the First Wave

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Guillermo Alejandro Ricciardi
Fernando Locaso
Martín Alejandro Pérez
Santiago Soto Arriaga
Santiago Scalambro
Ariel Agustín Salinas
Mariano Riva
Alan Elorza
Diego Mansilla
Florencia Molina
Juan Urrica
Gustavo Ricciardi
Sol Manterola
Ignacio Gabriel Garfinkel
Gabriel Genaro Carrioli
Daniel Oscar Ricciardi

Abstract

Introduction: Our aim was to compare our activity in the Orthopedics and Traumatology service during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: Ambispective longitudinal observational analytical study of patients treated in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of a public health hospital of Buenos Aires during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary outcome variable was the total number of surgeries performed during the study period.
Results: The pandemic was associated with fewer total surgeries (p = 0.002), emergency department surgeries (p = 0.000) and elective surgeries (p = 0.002). Total surgeries were reduced by 81.5%. Emergency surgeries accounted for 97%, a significant difference with the non-pandemic period (p = 0.080). Additionally, the average number of surgeries per available surgical day was significantly lower (p = 0.000).
Conclusions: We believe that, under the regulations indicated by the national and regional pandemic contingency plan, the care of orthopedic pathology and musculoskeletal trauma was notoriously lower than our usual performance. Although we responded adequately to the emergencies of our specialty, the possibility of stratifying and considering types of patients with conditions that could be treated gradually during the pandemic remains pending.

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How to Cite
Ricciardi, G. A., Locaso, F., Pérez, M. A., Soto Arriaga, S., Scalambro, S., Salinas, A. A., Riva, M., Elorza, A., Mansilla, D., Molina, F., Urrica, J., Ricciardi, G., Manterola, S., Garfinkel, I. G., Carrioli, G. G., & Ricciardi, D. O. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Activity of a Public Orthopedics and Traumatology Service: Our Insights After the First Wave. Revista De La Asociación Argentina De Ortopedia Y Traumatología, 86(6), 716-726. https://doi.org/10.15417/issn.1852-7434.2021.86.6.1341
Section
Clinical Research
Author Biographies

Guillermo Alejandro Ricciardi, Servicio de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Servicio de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fernando Locaso, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Martín Alejandro Pérez, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Santiago Soto Arriaga, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Santiago Scalambro, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Ariel Agustín Salinas, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mariano Riva, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Alan Elorza, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Diego Mansilla, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Florencia Molina, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Juan Urrica, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Gustavo Ricciardi, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sol Manterola, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Ignacio Gabriel Garfinkel, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Gabriel Genaro Carrioli, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Daniel Oscar Ricciardi, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Head of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Hospital General de Agudos “Dr. Teodoro Álvarez”, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

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