Background: Alcohol has been associated with 10-35% trauma admissions and 40% trauma-related deaths globally. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Kingdom (UK) entered a state of 'lockdown' on 23rd March 2020. Restrictions were most significantly eased on 1st June 2020, when shops and schools re-opened. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of lockdown on alcohol-related trauma admissions. Method: All adult patients admitted as 'trauma calls' to a London Major Trauma Centre (MTC) during April 2018 and April 2019 (pre-lockdown;N=316), and 1st April - 31st May 2020 (lockdown;N=191) had electronic patient records analysed. Patients' blood alcohol level and records of intoxication were used to identify alcohol-related trauma. Trauma admissions from pre- and post-lockdown cohorts were compared using multiple regression analyses. Results: Alcohol-related trauma was present in a significantly higher proportion of adult trauma calls during lockdown (lockdown 60/191 (31.4%), versus pre-lockdown 62/316 (19.6%);(Odds Ratio (OR) 0.83, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.28, p<0.001). Lockdown was also associated with increased weekend admissions of trauma (lockdown 125/191 weekend (65.5%) vs pre-lockdown 179/316 (56.7%);OR -0.40, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.02, p=0.041). No significant difference existed in the age, gender, or mechanism between pre-lockdown and lockdown cohorts (p>0.05). Conclusions: UK lockdown was independently associated with an increased proportion of alcohol-related trauma. Trauma admissions were increased during the weekend when staffing levels are reduced. With the possibility of subsequent global 'waves' of Covid-19, the risk of long-term repercussions of dangerous alcohol-related behaviour to public health must be addressed.
Increased proportion of alcohol-related trauma in a South London major trauma centre during lockdown, a cohort study