ABSTRACT
Abstract Introduction The nasopharynx and oropharynx are the main colonization sites of coronavirus. Therefore, patients with paranasal sinuses and pharyngeal problems (ear, nose, and throat [ENT] patients) predispose coronavirus infection. Ear, nose, and throat patients with concomitant asymptomatic coronavirus infection may develop severe pneumonia following surgical procedures. As a result, presurgical screening for coronavirus infection is a substantial concern. Objective We evaluated the usefulness of a spiral chest computed tomography (CT) scan in the diagnosis of asymptomatic coronavirus infection in the presurgical assessment of ENT patients Methods In this study, candidates of paranasal sinus or pharyngeal surgery were evaluated for coronavirus infection. Patients with neither history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nor compatible symptoms and signs were screened for asymptomatic coronavirus infection. These patients composed two groups: the first group underwent a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test of nasopharyngeal sample and spiral chest CTscan, but for the second one, only the latter was performed. Results In the first group, which consisted of 106 patients, 11 (10.4%) cases had positive RT-PCR test results, and 17 (16%) patients showed positive findings in favor of coronavirus infection in the spiral chest CT scan. In the second group, which consisted of 173 patients, 34 (19.7%) cases had positive chest CT scan results. Conclusion The chest CT scan has a valuable role in the early diagnosis of asymptomatic coronavirus carriers in patients highly predisposed to infection, especially in low resource areas, where the RT-PCR test is unavailable.
ABSTRACT
The operating room is one of the main units in a hospital, where the most important phase of treatment is performed. Due to the physical properties, use of gases, and different electric devices in the operating room, the safety of both the patients and the staff should be considered carefully. This study aims to estimate the safety standards of the operating rooms in Tehran University Hospitals and to provide solutions to the existing problems. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in the operating rooms of TUMS hospitals. The research instrument was a checklist used by interviewers while observing the place. The safety standards were studied in terms of physical environment, protection against fire, personnel safety, patients' safety, and infection control. The data were analyzed by SPSS software. The overall safety of the operating rooms of TUMS hospitals was found to be 84.9 percent. The figures for infection control and personnel safety, however, were lower. The operating rooms of Tehran University of Medical Sciences hospitals were studied in terms of five safety standards. Considering the physical environment, fire protection, and patient safety, they were quite safe but as to infection control they were relatively safe. However, they were found to be unsafe regarding the safety of their staff. Tehran Heart Center with an overall safety of 97.5% for its operating rooms can be considered as a model for the other TUMS treatment centers