Our Experiences in a Neurosurgical Operating Room During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aslıhan Esra Yüksel^{1, *}, Nevhis Akıntürk², Özge Dereli¹, Ozgun Anadolu¹, Taşkın Yurtseven², Abdurrahim Derbent¹ 

¹Department of Anaesthesiology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey - ²Department of Neurosurgery, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many compulsory alterations at health system. Emergency surgery is an area that is facing the need for many adaptations in health system.We aimed to evaluate the emergency cases accepted the neurosurgery operating room during the pandemic period and to determine the adequacy of the measures we took and if any, our deficiencies.

Methods: We examined the 135 patients who were urgently operated in the neurosurgery operating room during the pandemic period (between March 15 and June 1, 2020). Demographic features and the way they applied to our clinic were recorded. Our study includes the results of the PCR tests before and after the surgery, chest x-rays, chest CT findings, laboratory results. The patients were called on the phone and asked whether they were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the postoperative period 1st month.

Results: COVID-19 infection was detected in 3 of 135 patients who had an emergency surgery. All three patients with the infection were children. Preoperative PCR tests were carried out in only one of the three positive patients. In the other two patients, postoperative test results were positive. No infection was detected in our anesthesia and surgical personnel in our units period.

Conclusion: If we organize our surgery programs with the precautions suggested by the guides, we will ensure the safety of both our patients and healthcare professionals.