Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Orthopedic Surgery in Three Centers from Romania

Dinu Vermeşan, Adrian Todor, Diana Andrei, Marius Niculescu, Emanuela Tudorache and Horia Haragus
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Dinu Vermeşan: Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Adrian Todor: Department of Orthopedics, Traumatology and Pediatric Orthopedics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Victor Babes Str No 8, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Diana Andrei: Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, EftimieMurgu Square No 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Marius Niculescu: Faculty of Medicine, TituMaiorescu University, Dambovnicului Str No 22, District 4, 040441 Bucharest, Romania
Emanuela Tudorache: Department of Pulmonology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Horia Haragus: Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has put an enormous burden on healthcare systems. As a direct consequence, many elective procedures were cancelled and available resources were relocated to emergencies and COVID-19 patients. We aimed to analyze the impact on orthopedic surgery in Romania. We performed a retrospective analysis of orthopedics and trauma cases admitted over the first six months of 2019 and 2020 in three representative clinics. In total, there were 1900 patients: 1241 from Timisoara, 216 from Cluj-Napoca, and 443 from Bucharest. In April, activity for all cases in the regional trauma center dropped to 23.8% and stopped in the other two. No arthroscopies or elective joint replacements were performed in April. By June, hospital admissions resumed for trauma cases while arthroscopies and joint replacements still lagged behind.

Keywords: coronavirus infections; delivery of health care; Romania; hospitals; orthopedic procedures; pandemics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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