P-241 Successful preventive strategy in primary thoracic surgery patient care during coronavirus pandemic

Hintergrund

To describe the primary and secondary preventive measures in thoracic surgery patients that allowed a continued surgical patient care during the highest incidence period of the coronavirus pandemic.

Material und Methode

All patients admitted for thoracic surgical procedures to the Asklepios Lung Clinic Munich-Gauting during March 1^st and May 15^th 2020 were retrospectively screened and included into the study. The implemented primary and secondary preventive measures in thoracic surgery patients were chronologically reviewed. Clinical data of the patients admitted before and after implementation of the COVID-19 preventive measures were analyzed. In order to identify potential postoperative COVID-19 symptoms, clinical course of thoracic surgery patients was analyzed in comparison to the non-surgical COVID-19 patients of the hospital during the same time period.

Ergebnis

Overall, eighty-nine thoracic surgical patients were admitted before and after implementation of the preventive measures, respectively. Three patients undergoing thoracic surgery in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic experienced a COVID-19 pneumonia post-discharge. Strict primary and secondary screening measures led to a successful perioperative prevention in thoracic surgery patients. Accordingly, no further postoperative COVID-19 cases were identified. The most frequent symptoms recorded in non-surgical COVID-19 patients including fever, dyspnea, dry cough and diarrhea were used in the perioperative screening of thoracic surgical patients and triggered a prompt COVID-19 diagnostic.

Schlussfolgerung

Continued surgical patient care in the thoracic surgical department is possible during coronavirus pandemic upon implementation of strict primary and secondary prevention measures.

Publication History

Article published online:
06 September 2021