Bladder Cancer at the time of COVID-19 Outbreak

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 outbreak has led to the deferral of a great number of surgeries in an attempt to reduce transmission of infection, free up hospital beds, intensive care and anaesthetists, and limit aerosol-generating procedures. Guidelines and suggestions have been provided to categorize Urological diseases into risk groups and recommendations are available on procedures that can be or cannot be deferred. We aim to summarise updates on diagnosis, treatment and follow up of bladder cancer during the COVID-19 outbreaks.

COVID-19s Impact on Italian Urology

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives, our habits and our healthcare system. Italy is one of the countries affected first and more aggressively from the outbreak. Our rapidity has been guide for other healthcare systems from around the World. We describe the impact of COVID-19 on Urology, how the Urological scientific community responded to the emergency and our experience in a high-volume Roman University hospital. The aim of our work is to share our experience providing suggestions for other global hospitals on how to manage the COVID-19 emergency.

Implementation and strategies to ensure adequate coordination within a Urology Department during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Purpose: to provide an update on the management of a Urology Department during the COVID-19 outbreak, suggesting strategies to optimize assistance to the patients, to implement telemedicine and triage protocols, to define pathways for hospital access, to reduce risk of contagious inside the hospital and to determine the role of residents during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: In May the 6th 2020 we performed a review of the literature through online search engines (PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct). We looked at recommendations provided by the EAU and ERUS regarding the management of urological patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main aspects of interest were: the definition of deferrable and non-deferrable procedures, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hospital protocols for health care providers, triage, hospitalization and surgery, post-operative care training and residents' activity. A narrative summary of guidelines and current literature for each point of interest was performed. Conclusion: In the actual Covid-19 scenario, while the number of positive patients globally keep on rising, it is fundamental to embrace a new way to deliver healthcare and to overcome challenges of physical distancing and self-isolation. The use of appropriate PPE, definite pathways to access the hospital, the implementation of telemedicine protocols can represent effective strategies to carry on delivering healthcare.