Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of traffic accidents: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: to assess the epidemiological profile of traffic accident victims in the setting of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and analyze the admissions throughout the different levels of restriction (flags), as well as compare the results with the pre-pandemic period. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was performed, with probability sampling, in a trauma center in Brazil. Medical records of patients involved in traffic accidents from June 2020 to May 2021 were evaluated. Aside from epidemiological characteristics, variables such as the current flag, the trauma mechanism, the resulting injuries, and the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) were also considered. Data were compared between three different flag periods and the proportion of consultations during the pandemic was compared with that from pre-pandemic time (December 2016 to February 2018). RESULTS: it was observed that 62.2% of the patients were victims of motorcycle accidents, 77.5% were male, and the mean age was 33 ± 12.4 years. The mean and median RTS were 7.5 and 7.8, respectively. Statistical difference was stated when comparing the number of visits per day between the yellow and red flags (p=0.001) and orange and red flags (p=0.016). A significantly lower number of consultations for traffic accidents was observed in the pandemic when compared to the pre-pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS: the epidemiological profile of the study consisted mostly of young men who were victims of motorcycle accidents. There was a lower incidence of admissions during red flag periods and a lower proportion of consultations throughout the survey when compared to the pre-pandemic period.