Emergent foot and ankle surgery in the epidemic of COVID-19 / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To report our experience in the emergent foot and ankle surgery in the epidemic of COVID-19.Methods:The data of 18 patients with acute foot and ankle injury were reviewed who had been admitted to the Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Wuhan Fourth Hospital from 20th January, 2020 to 26th February, 2020. They were 11 men and 7 women, aged from 18 to 70 years (average, 42.5 years). There were 5 cases of acute open injury and 13 ones of acute closed injury. COVID-19 infection was diagnosed or suspected in 5 cases but not in the other 13 cases. Emergency operation was carried out for 2 patients with open injury plus COVID-19 infection and one with complicated pilon fracture plus COVID-19 infection, one of whom received secondary operation. One patient with closed fracture of the left calcaneus plus COVID-19 infection was hospitalized from emergency department for secondary surgery, and another with closed fracture of the right lateral malleolus was referred to the isolation ward after emergency plaster fixation. Of the 10 patients with closed injury but without COVID-19 infection, 3 received conventional secondary surgery after admission and the others conservative treatment at the outpatient department. Recorded were COVID-19 infections in the patients after admission and in the medical staff. The measures taken and experience in control and prevention of COVID-19 infection after outbreak of the epidemic were reviewed.Results:Of the 11 patients who had been hospitalized for foot and ankle injury in emergency, 5 were definitely diagnosed of or suspected of COVID-19 infection and 6 free of COVID-19 infection. During hospitalization, COVID-19 infection was confirmed in the 5 cases and no COVID-19 infection occurred in the other 6 patients. No COVID-19 infection occurred in the medical staff; no cross infection was observed between the patients and the medical staff.Conclusions:Reasonable strategies are advised to balance the foot and ankle surgery and epidemic prevention. A simplified management is not advised for all the cases. The operative procedures in emergent foot and ankle surgery should be optimized in line with the epidemic control and prevention principles to facilitate functional rehabilitation for the patients.