ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The presence of the SARS-CoV-2 in the peritoneal fluid is a matter of debate in the COVID-19 literature. The study aimed to report the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the peritoneal fluid of patients with nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 undergoing emergency surgery and review the literature. METHODS: The present study was conducted between March 2020 and June 2021. Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 positivity was confirmed by preoperative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Eighteen patients with positive nasopharyngeal swabs were operated in emergency in two third-level Italian hospitals. In 13 of these patients (72%), a peritoneal swab was analyzed: SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in the abdominal fluid of two patients (15%). Neither of them had visceral perforation and one patient died. In ten patients with negative peritoneal swabs, visceral perforation and mortality rates were 30% and 20%, respectively. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 peritoneal positivity is rare. Abdominal surgery can, therefore, be safely performed in patients with COVID-19 using standard precautions. The correlation with a visceral perforation is not evaluable. The clinical outcomes seem uninfluenced by the viral colonization of the peritoneum. Assessment in large series to provide definitive answers about the involvement of the SARS-CoV-2 in the peritoneum will be challenging to coordinate.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19 Testing , Humans , RNA, Viral/genetics , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , SARS-CoV-2/geneticsABSTRACT
The pathophysiology of gastrointestinal damage in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is probably multifactorial. It is not clear whether the etiology of intestinal ischemia may be directly related to viral replication or may result from hyper-coagulability following SARS-CoV-2 infection.To confirm a pathogenic role of COVID-19, we retrospectively investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the ischemic bowel of five COVID-19 patients undergoing emergency surgery for intestinal ischemia in the period of March 2020-May 2021. Immunohistochemical positivity with weak intensity was observed in four out of five cases, but only one case was strongly positive both at immunohistochemistry and at molecular analysis. The histological alterations in the intestinal tissue samples showed similarity with the well-known alterations described in typical targetorgans of the virus (e.g., the lung). This observation suggests a similar mechanism of action of the virus. Further larger studies are, thus, required to confirm this preliminary finding. Clinicians should carefully monitor all COVID-19 patients for the possible presence of a SARS-CoV-2 intestinal infection, a potential cause of ischemia and bowel perforation.
ABSTRACT
On January 2020, the WHO Director General declared that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The world has faced a worldwide spread crisis and is still dealing with it. The present paper represents a white paper concerning the tough lessons we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, an international and heterogenous multidisciplinary panel of very differentiated people would like to share global experiences and lessons with all interested and especially those responsible for future healthcare decision making. With the present paper, international and heterogenous multidisciplinary panel of very differentiated people would like to share global experiences and lessons with all interested and especially those responsible for future healthcare decision making.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Global Health , Pandemics , Biomedical Research , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/therapy , COVID-19 Vaccines , Delivery of Health Care/organization & administration , Health Policy , Health Services Accessibility , Health Status Disparities , Healthcare Disparities , Humans , International Cooperation , Mass Vaccination/organization & administration , Pandemics/prevention & control , Politics , Primary Health Care/organization & administration , Telemedicine/organization & administrationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The excretion pathomechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 are actually unknown. No certain data exist about viral load in the different body compartments and fluids during the different disease phases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specific real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction targeting 3 SARS-CoV-e genes were used to detect the presence of the virus. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 was detected in peritoneal fluid at a higher concentration than in respiratory tract. CONCLUSION: Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in peritoneal fluid has never been reported. The present article represents the very first positive result describing the presence of the virus in peritoneal fluid during an emergency surgical procedure in a COVID-19 sick patient. This article thus represents a warning for increasing the level of awareness and protection for surgeon especially in emergency surgical setting.