Mortality risk in post-operative head and neck cancer patients during the SARS-Cov2 pandemic: early experiences
Justin M Hintze1,2,3, Conall W Fitzgerald4,5,6, Bronagh Lang4,5,6
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St. James Hospital Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. hintzej@tcd.ie.
Purpose:
The objective of this report is to outline our early experience with head and neck cancer patients in a tertiary referral center, during the SARS-Cov2 pandemic, and to describe the poor outcomes of patients who acquired the infection.
Methods:
In this case series from a single-center, national tertiary referral center for head and neck cancer we describe three consecutive head and neck cancer patients who contracted SARS-Cov2 during their inpatient stay.
Results:
Of the three patients described in our case series that contracted SARS-Cov2, two patients died from SARS-Cov2 related illness.
Conclusion:
We have demonstrated the significant implications that SARS-Cov2 has on head and neck cancer patients, with 3 patients acquiring SARS-Cov2 in hospital, and 2 deaths in our that cohort. We propose a complete separation in the location of where these patients are being managed, and also dedicated non-SARS-Cov2 staff for their peri-operative management.
Level Of Evidence:
IV.
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