Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mortality of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Transported by Emergency Medical Services.
Asia-Pacific journal of public health · 2026-01-01 · Observational study
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mortality of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients transported by emergency medical services (EMS). Adult TBI patients who were assessed and transported by EMS between January 2018 and December 2021 were analyzed. The main exposure was during the COVID-19 pandemic period at the time of the event. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. A total of 18 988 patients were analyzed. The in-hospital mortality in the COVID-19 era group was 1812 (20.9%), and that in the non-COVID-19 era group was 2040 (19.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significantly greater probability of in-hospital mortality in the COVID-19-era group; adjusted odds ratio of 1.16. Compared with non-COVID-19 era patients, TBI patients who were assessed and transported during the COVID-19 era were more likely to have higher in-hospital mortality.