TY  - JOUR
A1  - Flemming, Sven
A1  - Hankir, Mohammed K.
A1  - Kusan, Simon
A1  - Krone, Manuel
A1  - Anger, Friedrich
A1  - Germer, Christoph-Thomas
A1  - Wiegering, Armin
T1  - Safety of elective abdominal and vascular surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective single-center study
T2  - European Journal of Medical Research
N2  - Background
Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who undergo surgery have impaired postoperative outcomes and increased mortality. Consequently, elective and semi-urgent operations on the increasing number of patients severely affected by COVID-19 have been indefinitely postponed.in many countries with unclear implications on disease progression and overall survival. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the establishment of a standardized screening program for acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is sufficient to ensure high-quality medical and surgical treatment of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients while minimizing in-hospital SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Methods
The screening program comprised polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of nasopharyngeal swabs and a standardized questionnaire about potential symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 infection. All elective and emergency patients admitted to the surgical department of a tertiary-care hospital center in Lower Franconia, Germany, between March and May 2020 were included and their characteristics were recorded.

Results
Out of the study population (n = 657), 509 patients (77.5%) had at least one risk factor for a potentially severe course of COVID-19 and 164 patients (25%) were active smokers. The average 7-day incidence in Lower Franconia was 24.0/100,000 during the observation period. Preoperative PCR testing revealed four asymptomatic positive patients out of the 657 tested patients. No postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection or transmission could be detected.

Conclusion
The implementation of a standardized preoperative screening program to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients can ensure high-quality surgical care while minimizing infection risk for healthcare workers and potential in-hospital transmission.
KW  - SARS-CoV-2
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - elective surgery
KW  - screening
KW  - PCR
Y1  - 2021
UR  - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/26497
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-264975
VL  - 26
ER  -