Should asymptomatic patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 wait for elective surgical procedures?

Naama Lieberman, Andrew Racine, Singh Nair, Peter Semczuk, Omid Azimaraghi, Jeffrey Freda, Matthias Eikermann, Karuna Wongtangman, Naama Lieberman, Andrew Racine, Singh Nair, Peter Semczuk, Omid Azimaraghi, Jeffrey Freda, Matthias Eikermann, Karuna Wongtangman

No abstract available

Keywords: COVID-19; Omicron; decision-making; elective surgery; preoperative assessment; surgical backlog.

Figures

Fig 1

(a) Healthcare utilisation and outcomes of patients who presented to the Montefiore Health System with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Four surges of the COVID-19 pandemic were reported in New York City starting in March 2020 (first surge), November 2020 (second surge), July 2021 (third surge), and December 2021 (fourth surge). Compared with previous surges, the COVID-19 pandemic in the fourth surge was associated with lower healthcare utilisation (purple lines), including hospital admission (∗adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39–0.43; P<0.001), ICU admission (†aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.74–0.93; P<0.001) and lower adverse outcomes (green lines), including loss of ability to live independently (‡aOR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.23–0.29; P<0.001) and in-hospital mortality (¶aOR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.26–0.36; P<0.001). (b) Hospital admissions, ICU admissions, and diagnosed COVID-19 pneumonia in patients as a fraction of patients who presented to the emergency department with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis rates, hospital admission rates, and ICU admission rates decreased from the first to the fourth surge, §(P<0.001 for time-dependent effect). Vaccination rates increased from the first to the fourth surge, ||(P<0.001 for time-dependent effect). ED, emergency department; PCR, polymerase chain reaction.