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.

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.