[Security protocols adapted to COVID-19 in elective surgery thru 2021].

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Healthcare Management

Context:

• The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant risks to healthcare workers, particularly during surgical procedures.
• Medical personnel face high rates of infection, morbidity, and mortality globally.
• Elective surgeries require stringent safety protocols to protect both patients and staff.

Purpose:

• To assess patient and healthcare personnel safety during anesthetic procedures for elective surgeries.
• To evaluate the adherence to safety protocols in a tertiary care hospital in Puebla, Mexico, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify trends in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to safety checklists.

Summary:

• A prospective study evaluated 170 elective surgeries across various specialties, including oncosurgery, urology, and general surgery.
• General anesthesia was the most common technique. Adherence to safe intubation/extubation protocols and the presence of essential personnel were suboptimal.
• The use of PPE, except for face masks, decreased over time, highlighting a potential lapse in protective measures.

Impact:

• Findings underscore a decline in security measures and PPE usage during the pandemic.
• Highlights the need for sustained implementation of robust safety protocols, including PPE and other protective strategies.
• Emphasizes the importance of maintaining adequate security measures to prevent nosocomial infections in healthcare settings.