The impact of curfews on emergency departments and orthopedic traumas.

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of curfews imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department visits, orthopedic trauma frequencies, and types of trauma.

Methods: In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, a total of 16,242 patients, including 3,020 trauma patients, were admitted to level 1 trauma center emergency department between April-June 2020 and 2021 (curfew group) and between April-June 2018 and 2019 (control group). Patients were separated according to emergency department triage categories and trauma mechanisms, and the changes in the days of curfew were analyzed.

Results: With the curfews, there was a 54% decrease in emergency room admissions. This decrease was seen especially in yellow and green area patients, whereas there was no significant decrease in red area patients with the highest urgency. When the effect of curfews on orthopedic traumas was analyzed, a 20% decrease was observed in trauma cases. In particular, there was a significant decrease in traffic accidents in and out of the vehicle, assault, and sports injuries, whereas there was no significant decrease in falls from the same level, motor accidents, and occupational accidents.

Conclusion: The impact of curfews on the density of emergency departments and trauma patients will guide the health management policies to be followed in future curfews to be implemented for different reasons. In the light of this information, more effective resource management and better quality health service planning will be ensured.