Evaluation of a comprehensive pre-procedural screening protocol for COVID-19 in times of a high SARS CoV-2 prevalence: a prospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: To minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission, an ambulant screening protocol for COVID-19 in patients before admission to the hospital was implemented, combining the SARS CoV-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab, a chest computed tomography (CT) and assessment of clinical symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluatethe diagnostic yield and the proportionality of this pre-procedural screeningprotocol. METHODS: In this mono-centre, prospective, cross-sectional study, all patients admitted to the hospital between 22nd April 2020 until 14th May 2020 for semi-urgent surgery, haematological or oncological treatment, or electrophysiological investigationunderwent a COVID-19 screening 2 days before their procedure. At a 2-week follow-up, the presence of clinical symptoms was evaluated by telephone as a post-hoc evaluation of the screening approach.Combined positive RT-PCR assay and/or positive chest CT was used as gold standard. Post-procedural outcomes of all patients diagnosed positive for COVID-19 were assessed. RESULTS: In total,528 patients were included of which 20 (3.8%) were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive and 508 (96.2%) as COVID-19 negative. 11 (55.0%) of COVID-19 positive patients had only a positive RT-PCR assay, 3 (15.0%) had only a positive chest CT and 6 (30%) had both a positive RT-PCR assay and chest CT. 10 out of 20 (50.0%) COVID-19 positive patients reported no single clinical symptom at the screening. At 2 week follow-up, 50% of these patients were still asymptomatic. 37.5% of all COVID-19 negative patients were symptomatic at screening. In the COVID-19 negative group without symptoms at screening, 78 (29.3%) patients developed clinical symptoms at a 2-week follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that routine chest CT and assessment of self-reported symptoms have limited value in the preprocedural COVID-19 screening due to low sensitivity and/or specificity.

A new viewpoint on endoscopic CABG: technique description and clinical experience.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to describe a newly developed endoscopic coronary artery bypass graft (Endo-CABG) technique to treat patients with single- and multi-vessel disease and discuss the short-term clinical results in a large patient cohort. This technique avoids a median sternotomy by combining a thoracoscopic technique via three ∼5 mm thoracic ports and a mini-thoracotomy utility 3-4 cm port through the intercostal space. METHODS: From January 2016 to January 2018, data from consecutive patients undergoing an elective Endo-CABG were prospectively entered into a customized database and retrospectively reviewed. Patients scheduled for a combined hybrid intervention were excluded. Conversion rate to sternotomy, incidence of surgical revision and postoperative graft failure, one-month survival, morbidity, and length of stay (LOS) were investigated. Subgroup analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 342 patients undergoing an Endo-CABG with one (n = 53) or multiple (n = 289) bypasses were included. No conversion to sternotomy occurred and incidence of surgical revision, graft failure, and 30-day mortality was 7.3%, 1.5%, and 1.8%, respectively. Adverse neurological outcomes were rare: cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, epilepsy, and postoperative delirium were observed in 0.6%, 0.3%, 0.3%, and 5.3% of patients, respectively. Median intensive care unit and hospital LOS were 2.75 (IQR 1.8 to 3.8) and 8.0 days (IQR 7.0 to 10.0), respectively. Thirty-day mortality in obese patients, diabetics, and octogenarians was 0%, 3.6%, and 5.6%, respectively. EuroSCORE II > 5% was associated with a high 30-day mortality (25%). CONCLUSIONS: Endo-CABG can be considered a safe and effective procedure to treat single- and multi-vessel coronary artery disease. Individual patient selection seems not necessary to apply this technique.