Covid -19 Pandemic: Economic Burden on Patients Operated for Traumatic Close Fractures

Covid-19 has impacted adversely the economy of Pakistan that has already poor and challenged socioeconomic conditions This is a single hospital retrospective cross sectional study conducted to quantify losses due postponement of elective surgeries and procurement of PPEs and see the effect of Covid -19 on the total costs of inpatient care during Covid era.

We included all the patients admitted in orthopedic section for operative intervention of fractures and elective procedures from January 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020. We divided this period into two halves; the first half was from January first to March 15 named as PreCovid Era and second half was from March 16, to May 31, 2020, termed as Covid Era. The total number of trauma procedures and elective procedures were compared in both eras. We compared six procedures each from upper and lower limit for cost analysis and length of stay. We also analyzed the extra cost for procurement of PPEs.

Inclusion criteria

• All the patients admitted in orthopedic section for operative intervention of fractures and elective procedures from January 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients presenting with other bone morbidities that did not require surgical interventions including rickets, osteomalacia, osteogenesis imperfecta, marble bone disease (osteopetrosis), Paget disease of bone, and fibrous dysplasia, patients with incomplete medical records were excluded from the study.