Abstract
Purpose: As ophthalmic elective surgeries resume amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols for testing patients for SARS-CoV-2 is important due to the transmissibility of the virus. Here, we describe the protocol our institution has implemented for screening asymptomatic patients before proceeding to elective ophthalmic surgery. Methods: A retrospective chart review analyzed the number of elective surgeries, results of SARS-CoV-2 testing, and the effect of a positive result on surgery scheduling. Results: We display the screening protocol our institution used to test for SARS-CoV-2. Through its implementation, we found 2 asymptomatic patients who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 resulting in cancellation of their surgeries. Conclusion: Because of the possibility of positive COVID-19 status in asymptomatic patients and the risk this poses to patients and staff, we recommend testing all asymptomatic patients for SARS-CoV-2 prior to elective surgeries.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 90-92 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Ophthalmic Epidemiology |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- Covid-19
- Screening protocol
- asymptomatic
- elective surgery
- testing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Ophthalmology