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Screening pediatric surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rami P Dibbs1, Andrew M Ferry, Steven C Mehl
1Rami P. Dibbs and Andrew M. Ferry are research fellows in the Division of Plastic Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tex. Steven C. Mehl is a general surgery resident physician at Baylor College of Medicine. Susannah M. Ferguson is clinical lead of advanced practice providers in the Department of Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital. James Versalovic is pathologist-in-chief at Texas Children's Hospital and director of Texas Children's Microbiome Center. James J. Dunn is the director of medical microbiology and virology at Texas Children's Hospital. Joyce Enochs is manager of nursing perioperative services at Texas Children's Hospital. Laura A. Monson is a pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgeon and chief surgical quality and safety officer at Texas Children's Hospital. Larry H. Hollier, Jr. , is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and surgeon-in-chief at Texas Children's Hospital. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Insights
Hospitals adapted surgical screening protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect patients and staff from SARS-CoV-2. This article details the evolution of these essential safety measures.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Surgical Care
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global healthcare delivery and strained medical facilities.
- Hospitals worldwide implemented adaptive strategies to maintain patient care and minimize SARS-CoV-2 transmission, especially in surgical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development, implementation, and modifications of institutional surgical screening and clearance protocols for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To share the rationale behind evolving screening protocols in response to changing medical knowledge, technology, and regulations.
Main Methods:
- Development of institutional protocols for surgical patient screening and clearance.
- Continuous modification of protocols based on emerging data, technological advancements, and regulatory updates.
- Focus on mitigating SARS-CoV-2 exposure risks for patients and healthcare providers.
Main Results:
- Established and refined comprehensive surgical screening protocols.
- Successfully adapted to evolving pandemic conditions and healthcare guidelines.
- Minimized potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 within the surgical environment.
Conclusions:
- Institutional screening protocols are crucial for safe surgical care during pandemics.
- Adaptability and evidence-based modifications are key to effective pandemic response in healthcare.
- The presented protocols offer a model for other institutions facing similar challenges.
Abstract:
SARS-CoV-2 has profoundly affected the way healthcare is delivered and has created significant strain on medical facilities globally. As a result, hospitals have had to continuously adapt in order to provide optimal patient care while minimizing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, particularly in the surgical setting. Texas Children's Hospital developed a set of protocols for surgical screening and clearance of patients in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These screening protocols were designed to mitigate the risk of exposing patients and healthcare providers to SARS-CoV-2 and have evolved significantly as a result of the emerging changes in medicine, technology, and governmental regulations. In this article, we share the reasoning behind the development, implementation, and successive modification of our institutional screening protocols.
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