COVID-19 among patients with orthopedic surgery: our experience from the Middle East.
J Orthop Surg Res
; 16(1): 336, 2021 May 25.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1243813
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
We report our experiences with COVID-19 in one of the largest referral orthopedic centers in the Middle East and aimed to describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of these patients.METHODS:
During February 20 and April 20, 2020, patients who underwent orthopedic surgery and healthcare staff who were in contact with these patients were screened for COVID-19. To identify patients who were in the incubation period of COVID-19 during their hospital stay, all patients were tested again for COVID-19 4 weeks after discharge.RESULTS:
Overall, 1244 patients underwent orthopedic surgery (1123 emergency and 121 elective) during the study period. Overall, 17 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 during hospital admission and seven after discharge. Among the total 24 patients with COVID-19, 15 were (62.5%) males with a mean (SD) age of 47.0±1.6 years old. Emergency surgeries were performed in 20 (83.3%) patients, and elective surgery was done in the remaining 4 patients which included one case of posterior spinal fusion, spondylolisthesis, acromioclavicular joint dislocation, and one case of leg necrosis. A considerable number of infections occurred in patients with intertrochanteric fractures (n=7, 29.2%), followed by pelvic fractures (n=2, 8.3%), humerus fractures (n=2, 8.3%), and tibial plateau fractures (n=2, 8.3%). Fever (n=11, 45.8%) and cough (n=10, 37.5%) were the most common symptoms among patients. Laboratory examinations showed leukopenia in 2 patients (8.3%) and lymphopenia in 4 (16.7%) patients. One patient with a history of cancer died 2 weeks after discharge due to myocardial infarction. Among hospital staff, 26 individuals contracted COVID-19 during the study period, which included 13 (50%) males. Physicians were the most commonly infected group (n = 11), followed by operation room technicians (n = 5), nurses (n = 4), and paramedics (n = 4).CONCLUSIONS:
Patients who undergo surgical treatment for orthopedic problems, particularly lower limb fractures with limited ambulation, are at a higher risk of acquiring COVID-19 infections, although they may not be at higher risks for death compared to the general population. Orthopedic surgeons in particular and other hospital staff who are in close contact with these patients must be adequately trained and given appropriate personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 outbreak.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Health Personnel
/
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
/
Orthopedic Procedures
/
Personal Protective Equipment
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
J Orthop Surg Res
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S13018-021-02483-6
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