Changes in Traumatic Brain Injury Patterns Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center Study in Brazil

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant worldwide public health concern and is among the top causes of death in people under the age of 45 years. Research concerning the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on TBI remains scarce, especially in underdeveloped nations. This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TBI in adults by comparing data from May 2019 (pre-pandemic) and May 2020 (pandemic period) at a tertiary trauma reference hospital in Brazil. The number of TBI cases was 458 in 2019 and 419 in 2020, with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). There was a decrease in sports-related TBIs (2.2% in 2019 vs. 0.5% in 2020, p-value = 0.03), but an increase in alcohol and/or drug use-related TBIs (18.3% in 2019 vs. 31.5% in 2020, p-value < 0.001). Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test and the chi-square test. The pandemic altered the profile and incidence of TBI with respect to modifications of society's habits that it has imposed. These results are useful when making policies for public health to deal with future global health emergencies. Study limitations include its retrospective design, which may introduce biases related to the data collection method and a lack of precision in medical record documentation. Additionally, the data analyzed refers only to the first month following the implementation of restriction measures; however, the sample size is considerable and provides meaningful insights into the initial impact of the pandemic.