@article{FlemmingHankirKusanetal.2021,
  author    = {Flemming, Sven and Hankir, Mohammed K. and Kusan, Simon and Krone, Manuel and Anger, Friedrich and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin},
  title     = {Safety of elective abdominal and vascular surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective single-center study},
  series = {European Journal of Medical Research},
  volume    = {26},
  journal   = {European Journal of Medical Research},
  doi       = {10.1186/s40001-021-00583-x},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-264975},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {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.},
  language  = {en}
}