This article was first published in the Summer 2021 issue of Critical Connections.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, overwhelmed hospital systems required intensivists of all specialties to care for critically ill patients with COVID-19. All types of patients treated and admitted to hospitals had significant variations from baseline. As part of statewide, regional, and national systems, trauma centers use an all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness and are poised to respond to situations such as pandemics. This article covers trends and care of injured patients in the United States during the pandemic as well as a look into possible trends for the future.

Critical Connections, the critical care industry's only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team.

Luke J. Duncan, MD
Daniel J. Haase, MD, RDMS, RDCS
Deborah A. Kuhls, MD, FACS, FCCM