MANAGEMENT OF PEDIATRIC FACIAL FRACTURES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in medical and surgical interventions in most health care systems worldwide. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMS) delayed operations to protect themselves, patients, and staff. This manuscript presents (1) institution's experience in management of pediatric craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma during COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) suggests recommendations to decrease transmission. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective review of children 18 years or younger who had an operation at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) in Atlanta, GA from March to August 2020. Patients were: (1) 18 years old or younger, (2) had one or more maxillofacial fractures, and (3) had an operation by OMS, Otolaryngology, or Plastic Surgery. Medical records were reviewed regarding: (1) fracture location (2) COVID status, (3) timing, (4) personal protection equipment (PPE), and (5) infection status. Descriptive statistics were computed. Results 58 children met inclusion criteria. Most commonly injured maxillofacial location was nose. Operations occurred 50.9 hours after admission. Specific prevention perioperative guidelines were used with all patients with no transmission from a patient to a healthcare worker. Conclusions With our recommendations, there was no transmission to health care workers. We hope that these guidelines will assist OMS during COVID-19 pandemic.