Fighting against outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019: suggestions to anesthesia practioners

ABSTRACT

In the medical treatment activities to fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, many anesthesia practioners in the country, especially the intensive care unit (ICU) medical staff, are on the front line and perform the therapeutic procedures with high risk of infection such as tracheal intubation, sputum suction, bronchoscopy and so on in ICU with most high risk of infection. What should the anesthesia practioners pay attention to? In the fight against the SARS epidemic in 2003, the author served as ICU director of SARS designated hospital, the Beijing Xiaotangshan hospital, for nearly 2 months and had some experience. Combining the situation of this epidemic, the author puts forward some personal suggestions 1. Improving the success rate of critically ill patients is an important basis to avoid social panic. 2. For confirmed and suspected patients, non-emergency surgery should not be performed if possible;3. For confirmed and suspected patients who must undergo surgery, the highest level of protection must be taken;4. Before the outbreak is resolved, unconventional treatment must be taken even if anesthesia is performed for routine surgery. 5. Ensuring self-protection is the greatest contribution to the control of the epidemic. © 2020 Chinese Medical Association