Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients According to the Mechanism Before and After COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the change in the number of patients with head trauma according to the trauma mechanism among severely injured patients transferred to the emergency department of Wonju Severance Christian Hospital before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: Medical records (sex, age, diagnosis, trauma mechanism, and injury severity score) of patients referred to the emergency room between January 2018 and December 2019 and January 2020 and December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, verified, and compared. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2021, the number of patients with traumatic brain injury decreased by 251 (32%). No significant differences were observed in sex, age, or time of accident. From 2020 to 2021, among the trauma mechanisms, the number of cases involving rolling down slightly reduced compared with those involving other mechanisms. Furthermore, cerebral contusions among intracranial lesions significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Partial restrictions on social activities owing to COVID-19 are ongoing. Further investigation of the clinical characteristics of trauma patients over a longer period is required.