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Guidelines for the orthopedic surgeon in the era of COVID-19
Monther A Gharaibeh1, Badera Al Mohammad2, Besher Gharaibeh3
1Department of General and Special Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa.
Insights
Orthopaedic surgery adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on urgent cases. Guidelines were developed to safely resume elective orthopaedic procedures while managing resources and preventing virus transmission.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly impacted healthcare, leading to the suspension of elective orthopaedic procedures.
- Orthopaedic surgery remained active for emergent and urgent trauma cases during the pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze international recommendations regarding the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedic surgery practice.
- To provide guidelines for managing urgent/emergent cases in high-prevalence areas (hot zones).
- To outline a strategy for safely resuming elective orthopaedic services, balancing patient care with resource management and infection control.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of international reports and outbreak developments.
- Review of recommendations for managing orthopaedic care during the pandemic.
Main Results:
- Healthcare facilities halted elective orthopaedic services to reallocate resources and prevent COVID-19 transmission.
- Guidelines are proposed for managing urgent cases and safely returning to normal workflows.
Conclusions:
- A balanced strategy is crucial for resuming orthopaedic surgery, ensuring safe practice and quality care.
- Minimizing resource strain and preventing healthcare-associated COVID-19 transmission are key objectives.
Abstract:
Amid the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), orthopaedic surgery was one of the fewer specialties that remained active managing emergent and urgent orthopaedic and trauma cases. On the other hand, with the continued spread of this pandemic and its associated socioeconomic confinement and unpredictability of the pandemic curve; many health care facilities were forced into halting all elective and non-urgent activities including orthopaedic specialties. This in part was to help in reallocation of required resources and focusing on the proper management of COVID-19 patients, and to prevent the transmission of infection among health care workers and patients. In this article we analyzed developments and recommendations of international reports about the current outbreak and its impact on the practice of orthopaedic surgery. Our aim was to provide comprehensive and easy guidelines for the management of urgent and emergent cases in hot zones and for the process of returning to usual orthopaedic work flow in a balanced strategy to assure safe practice and providing quality care without the risk of exhausting institutional resources or the risk of COVID- 19 transmission among health care workers or patients.
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