COVID-19 Pandemic: management of patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 in Rome Covid Hospital 2 Trauma Center and safety of our surgical equipe 

Abstract

Background. SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic left a deep mark in the Health Systems around the globe, leading to an important change in the way we intend the access to the healthcare and its fruition. Hospitals faced something unexpected and they underwent a deep change and so did the orthopedic activity.Materials and Methods. In “A. Gemelli” University hospital new protocols were adopted for the safe management of patients affected by SARS-CoV-2. Among these patients, six had to be treated also for orthopedic problems. The management of these patients, from the admission in the Emergency Room (E.R). to the operating room (O.R.), followed the protocols we predisposed for the Coronavirus crisis.Results. Four among the six patients underwent surgical treatments. Two of them showed a change of their clinical status, due to a worsening of the COVID-19 symptoms, so the surgical option was postponed. All of them were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit, rather than the Orthopedic and Traumatology Unit, in order to provide the best measures to prevent the spread of the contagion and to ensure the best treatment for the COVID-19. No O.R. staff was infected by SARS-CoV-2.Conclusions. More studies are needed to provide a higher statistical significance to the safety measures taken in order to contrast the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the Surgical Room. Orthopedic surgeons are more exposed to the contagion due to the particular tools set they use. A more sensible and specific quick test for novel Coronavirus is particularly needed, due to the lack of sensibility of the serological rapid test.