Importance of pre-operative COVID-19 screening test in elective surgeries

Pershang Nazemi; Elham Feizabad; Nasim Shokouhi; Melika Hashemi; Sara Saeedi; Elham Shirali; Avin Mabadi; Ayein Azarnoush

doi:10.18502/ijm.v14i1.8795

Pershang Nazemi Department of Infectious Disease, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elham Feizabad Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Nasim Shokouhi Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Melika Hashemi Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sara Saeedi Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elham Shirali Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Avin Mabadi Department of Infectious Disease, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ayein Azarnoush Department of Infectious Disease, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v14i1.8795

Keywords: COVID-19 testing; Asymptomatic infections; Mass screening; Surgery; Morbidity; Mortality

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Since the COVID-19 pandemic initiation, more than 28 million elective surgeries were post-poned with a cancellation rate of 72.3%. However, studies suggested that the patient treatment should be conducted within12 weeks of diagnosis because delay in treatment might have had adverse impacts on patients' health status, prognosis, and pathologic stage. Hence, the current study aimed to assess the importance of a pre-operative COVID-19 screening test for the patients were candidates for elective surgery.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 141 patients who were candidates for any type of elective surgeries or cesarean section at a tertiary university-based hospital, between June 2020, and September 2020. Results: The mean age of participants was 41.38 ± 11.66 years. Of them, 91.5% were women and 8.5% were men. The COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening tests were positive in 12 (8.5%) patients. From whose PCR tests were positive, only five people (less than half) had symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever (three patients), a distinctive smell (two patients), and cough (one patient). Suspected exposure to COVID-19 was reported in four of them.

Conclusion: In this study, we found that more than half of PCR positive COVID-19 patients were asymptomatic. Therefore, to have a safe hospital environment, and improve patient health outcomes, the COVID-19 screening test should be applied before any interventions.