Mortality analyses of elderly patients with proximal femoral fracture during the pandemic: vaccination affects or not.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the mortality rate, intensive care unit (ICU) referral, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) between different types of vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients operated on due to intertrochanteric femoral fracture (IFF) during the pandemic. METHODS: Ninety-six patients (43 males, 53 females) who had proximal femur nails (PFN) for the IFF during the pandemic were included in the study. The patients were divided into four subgroups; non-vaccinated, and different types of vaccinated. Mortality rates, ICU referrals, and CCI relations were evaluated. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in terms of demographic data such as age, gender, side, CCI, and ICU referrals between the subgroups (p = 0.164, p = 0.546, p = 0.703, p = 0.771, p = 0.627 respectively). The mortality rate was significantly lower in the Sinovac + BioNTech subgroup (p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: No relationship was found between mortality rate, ICU referral, and CCI in different types of vaccinated and non-vaccinated patient subgroups.

Characterization and mapping of upper extremity fractures in children by a tertiary hospital quarantine and post-quarantine period.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to categorize and map the incidence and patterns of upper extremity fractures in children during and after novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine and to identify changes in the demographic characteristics and mechanisms of these fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between April 2020 and April 2022, a total of 3,549 upper extremity fractures occurring in 1,028 pediatric patients (682 males, 346 females; median age: 7 years; range, 0 to 18 years) were retrospectively analyzed. Those who presented between the dates of April 1st, 2020 and April 1st, 2021 (quarantine) were included in Group 1, whereas those who presented between April 1st, 2021 and April 2nd, 2022 (post-quarantine) were included in Group 2. The fracture map also showed the fracture density and location. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in terms of age range between Groups 1 and 2 (p<0.01). The 6-11 age range was significantly higher in Group 1, and the 12-18 age range was significantly higher in Group 2. CONCLUSION: Reducing physical activity during quarantine reduces fractures, particularly in adolescents. The removal of restrictions increases fractures in children in this age range. These findings highlight the importance of considering age ranges and physical activity levels while planning safety measures to prevent injuries in children.