Resource: SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, COVID‐19 and timing of elective surgery
Source: Anesthesia
Synopsis: This is a consensus statement from the Royal College of Anesthetists, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and several other important UK-based medical groups. It is based on a systematic review of the literature and expert opinion regarding recommendations about surgery, anesthesia and COVID. The article reviews such concepts as pre-operative immunization, universal PCR testing prior to surgery, the 7-week rule for delaying elective surgery in patients with prior COVID infection, and the other well-known strategies to reduce the chance of peri-operative COVID infection for staff and patients.
Comment: An excellent summary paper. While there is nothing “new" here that the COVID-19 task force hasn’t already highlighted, it is a nice all-in-one document that all surgeons should read. It shows how far we’ve come in our understanding in the past year.
