Aminian P, Tennant M, Kruger E. COVID-19 Lockdowns and Hospitalisations for Oro-Facial Trauma Among Adults in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Healthcare (Basel) 2025;
13:789. [PMID:
40218086 PMCID:
PMC11988744 DOI:
10.3390/healthcare13070789]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2025] [Revised: 03/26/2025] [Accepted: 03/31/2025] [Indexed: 04/14/2025] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Oro-facial trauma affects physical, psychological, and social well-being. This study assesses changes in oro-facial trauma hospitalisation rates among adults during the pre-lockdown period, 'lockdown year', and post-lockdown period in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). The findings provide insights into healthcare delivery and resource allocation during public health emergencies to inform future preventive strategies. Methods: Hospitalisation data for adults (aged 20+) with oro-facial trauma, classified using ICD-10 codes, were collected. Age-standardised rates (ASRs) per 100,000 population were calculated for each period. Comparative analyses evaluated hospitalisation rates during the 'lockdown year' relative to three years before and after. The 11 oro-facial trauma ICD codes were grouped into major and minor trauma to evaluate differential impacts. Results: This study highlighted a statistically significant reduction in oro-facial trauma hospitalisation rates during the 'lockdown year' in both Australia (38.8%) and the UK (35.7%) compared to the pre-lockdown period. Although rates increased post-lockdown, they remained lower than pre-lockdown levels, with a 35.5% reduction in Australia and a 25.1% reduction in the UK. Additionally, while the ASR significantly increased for major trauma in the post-lockdown years compared to the lockdown year, the increase for minor trauma was not statistically significant in both countries. Conclusions: COVID-19 lockdowns led to a significant reduction in oro-facial trauma hospitalisations. Post-lockdown rates increased as activities resumed but did not return to pre-lockdown levels, suggesting lasting behavioural shifts. These findings highlight the role of external factors (e.g., mobility and social behaviour) in oro-facial trauma rates and can inform targeted preventive strategies for high-risk periods.
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