ABSTRACT
Aim: In April 2020 routine elective surgery in England was suspended in response to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Low COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in the South West of England allowed urgent elective surgery in Plymouth to continue with the necessary precautions. The aim of this study was to assess outcomes following elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: Records of 54 consecutive patients undergoing urgent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy between March 25, 2020, and June 25, 2020, were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were telephoned after 30 days. All patients underwent COVID-19 swab testing 24 to 72 hours prior to surgery and during admission if clinically indicated. The primary outcome measure was COVID-19 related morbidity. Secondary outcome measures were non-COVID-19 related morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Results: Fifty-four patients [19 male, 35 female;median age 59 years (20–79);median body mass index (BMI) 31 kg/m2 (22.9–46.8);median ASA 2] underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the study period. Fifty-one patients (94%) were of White-British ethnicity. One patient tested positive for COVID-19 preoperatively. There were no COVID-19 diagnoses postoperatively and no COVID-19 related morbidity. There were no deaths at 30 days. Forty-four patients (81%) had a day-case procedure. Forty-two (78%) procedures were performed by a supervised trainee. Conclusion: Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be performed safely and training maintained in areas of low COVID-19 prevalence with the necessary precautions. Clinical significance: This small study provides some evidence to aid decision-making around the provision of elective surgical services during this ongoing pandemic.
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a demonstration of our PAAMS 2021 paper using data-driven analysis of airport terminal operations and An Agent-based Airport Terminal Operations Model Simulator (AATOM). The goal of this paper is to demonstrate and analyze the impact of the current COVID-19 and future pandemic-related measures on airport terminal operations and to identify plans that airport management agents can take into account to control the flow of passengers in a safe, efficient, secure and resilient way. To analyze the impact of the identified COVID-19 measures on the airport operations, the existing agent-based AATOM model was need to be modified in order to implement these measures. In this paper, we illustrate a demo of a developed simulator tool by investigating the effects of different degrees of physical distancing rules among agents on the performances of the airport. In the demo session the attendees will have the possibility to (i) work with the simulator tool on different relevant parameters regarding different sections and agents in the airport;(ii) view and analyze different performance indicator analyzers of the simulator. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the aviation industry, with a reduction in passenger demand never seen before. To minimize the spread of the virus and to gain trust from the public in the airport operations’ safety, airports implemented measures, e.g., physical distancing, entry/exit temperature screening and more. However, airports do not know what the impact of these measures will be on the operations’ performance and the passengers’ safety when passenger demand increases back. The goal of this research is twofold. Firstly, to analyze the impact of current (COVID-19) and future pandemic-related measures on airport terminal operations. Secondly, to identify plans that airport management agents can take to control passengers’ flow in a safe, efficient, secure and resilient way. To model and simulate airport operations, an agent-based model was developed. The proposed model covers the main airport’s handling processes and simulates local interactions, such as physical distancing between passengers. The obtained results show that COVID-19 measures can significantly affect the passenger throughput of the handling processes and the average time passengers are in contact with each other. For instance, a 20% increase in check-in time (due to additional COVID-19 related paperwork at the check-in desk) can decrease passenger throughput by 16% and increase the time that passengers are in contact by 23%. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Elective surgery in the UK came to a halt during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19-related infection and mortality rates in Devon and Cornwall were relatively low, however, urgent elective surgery continued in Plymouth, with the necessary precautions in place. This study aimed to assess outcomes following Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy (ILO) during the pandemic. METHODS: We prospectively analysed details of 20 consecutive patients who underwent ILO for cancer over a 3-month period between 17 March and 12 June 2020. All patients underwent COVID-19 swab testing 24-48 hours before surgery and during admission when clinically indicated. The primary outcome measure was COVID-19-related morbidity. Secondary outcome measures were non-COVID-19-related morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Twenty patients underwent ILO during the study period. All patients identified as white British. No patients tested positive for COVID-19 pre- or postoperatively. There was no COVID-19-related morbidity. There was no in-hospital mortality. Seven patients developed pneumonia, which settled with antibiotics. One patient developed an anastomotic leak, which was treated conservatively. One patient returned to theatre for a para-conduit hernia repair. The median length of hospital stay was nine days. One patient required admission to the high dependency unit for inotropic support for two days. CONCLUSIONS: ILO can be performed safely during the COVID-19 pandemic with the necessary precautions in place.