Adult cardiovascular surgery and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: the Italian experience.
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg
; 31(6): 755-762, 2020 12 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-889563
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected all health care professionals. The outbreak required a thorough reorganization of the Italian regional local health care system to preserve resources such as ventilators, beds in intensive care units and surgical and anaesthesiological staff. Levels of priority were created, together with a rigorous triage procedure for patients with COVID-19, which led to postponement of all elective procedures. Urgent cases were discussed with the local heart team and percutaneous approaches were selected as the first treatment option to reduce hospital stay. COVID-19 and COVID-19-free pathways were created, including adequate preparation of the operating room, management of anaesthesiological procedures, transportation of patients and disinfection. It was determined that patients with chronic diseases were at increased risk of adverse outcomes. Systemic inflammation, cytokine storm and hypercoagulability associated with COVID-19 increased the risk of heart failure and cardiac death. In this regard, the early use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation could be life-saving in patients with severe forms of acute respiratory distress syndrome or refractory heart failure. The goal of this paper was to report the Italian experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in the setting of cardiovascular surgery.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
/
Pandemics
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
/
Heart Failure
/
Cardiac Surgical Procedures
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Reviews
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg
Journal subject:
Vascular Diseases
/
Cardiology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Icvts
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