Your browser doesn't support javascript.
The management of emergency spinal surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.
Giorgi, P D; Villa, F; Gallazzi, E; Debernardi, A; Schirò, G R; Crisà, F M; Talamonti, G; D'Aliberti, G.
  • Giorgi PD; Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
  • Villa F; Neurosurgery Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
  • Gallazzi E; Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
  • Debernardi A; Neurosurgery Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
  • Schirò GR; Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
  • Crisà FM; Neurosurgery Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
  • Talamonti G; Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
  • D'Aliberti G; Neurosurgery Unit, Emergency and Urgency Department, A.S.S.T. Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
Bone Joint J ; 102-B(6): 671-676, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1724736
ABSTRACT

AIMS:

The current pandemic caused by COVID-19 is the biggest challenge for national health systems for a century. While most medical resources are allocated to treat COVID-19 patients, several non-COVID-19 medical emergencies still need to be treated, including vertebral fractures and spinal cord compression. The aim of this paper is to report the early experience and an organizational protocol for emergency spinal surgery currently being used in a large metropolitan area by an integrated team of orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons.

METHODS:

An organizational model is presented based on case centralization in hub hospitals and early management of surgical cases to reduce hospital stay. Data from all the patients admitted for emergency spinal surgery from the beginning of the outbreak were prospectively collected and compared to data from patients admitted for the same reason in the same time span in the previous year, and treated by the same integrated team.

RESULTS:

A total of 19 patients (11 males and eight females, with a mean age of 49.9 years (14 to 83)) were admitted either for vertebral fracture or spinal cord compression in a 19-day period, compared to the ten admitted in the previous year. No COVID-19 patients were treated. The mean time between admission and surgery was 1.7 days, significantly lower than 6.8 days the previous year (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION:

The structural organization and the management protocol we describe allowed us to reduce the time to surgery and ultimately hospital stay, thereby maximizing the already stretched medical resources available. We hope that our early experience can be of value to the medical communities that will soon be in the same emergency situation. Cite this article Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(6)671-676.
Subject(s)
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Patient Care Team / Pneumonia, Viral / Spinal Cord Compression / Spinal Fractures / Models, Organizational / Coronavirus Infections / Neurosurgical Procedures / Orthopedic Procedures / Pandemics Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged / Young adult Country/Region as subject: Europa Language: English Journal: Bone Joint J Year: 2020 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 0301-620X.102B6.BJJ-2020-0537

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Patient Care Team / Pneumonia, Viral / Spinal Cord Compression / Spinal Fractures / Models, Organizational / Coronavirus Infections / Neurosurgical Procedures / Orthopedic Procedures / Pandemics Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged / Young adult Country/Region as subject: Europa Language: English Journal: Bone Joint J Year: 2020 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 0301-620X.102B6.BJJ-2020-0537