Coronavirus Global Surgical Collaborative (CVGSC)*
An initiative sponsored by SAGES in collaboration with EAES, AEC, KSELS, and ELSA
A group of surgical leaders from affected countries have joined to discuss what they are learning during this Covid-19 Global crisis. The following is a brief summary of what they feel may be useful information to disseminate to the surgical community:
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Conduct of Surgical Research
The COVID impact on basic research has been extensive in certain areas of the world. Research labs have been affected and many times closed, except for those focused on COVID-19. Clinical trials at institutions have been severely impacted and largely stopped. Large streams of funding have been diverted away from non-COVID related research. Adapting clinical research to the COVID-19 era is important and can be done incorporating COVID-19 testing and study protocol and using telehealth platforms. For a useful guide on how to adapt research and clinical trials during this period, refer to the document prepared by the CVGSC
“Closing the Back Door” Protocol Helpful
Confidential reports from Italy and Spain confirm the efficacy of the “closing the back door protocol” in allowing an early detection of infected hospitalized surgical patients. Checking in house surgical patients twice a day – short interviews, temperature, and O2 saturation – led to several “suspected” infections. Standard operating protocol has been proven successful in identifying a few patients who later tested positive and were promptly isolated and managed accordingly. Although the early warning system increased the workload in the surgical wards, it definitely proved useful to limit in-hospital micro-outbreaks that potentially can affect other patients and staff health.
Preoperative Testing and Screening for Elective Surgery During the Pandemic to Restart Surgery
To minimize the spread and to plan appropriate protective measures for patients and OR staff, all patients should be tested prior to surgery. The type and timing of testing remains controversial, however, and is highly dependent on local resources. Please see attached statement for further suggestions.
Participants:
Drs. Horacio Asbun (Lead), Mohammed Abu Hilal, Jaap Bonjer, Nicolas Demartines, Nader Francis, Ho-Seong Han, Davide Lomanto, Salvador Morales, Andrea Pietrabissa, Aurora Pryor, Christopher Schlachta, Patricia Sylla, Eduardo Targarona, Suthep Udomsawaengsup
Other Surgical Societies/leaders are welcome to participate in future discussions. Please contact SAGES Executive Director, Sallie Matthews at sallie@sages.org if interested in being considered for participation.
General Disclaimer:
The following is intended to provide our members with information arising from the experience of our colleagues from Europe and Asia who experienced the pandemic first. While the information provided is from very reliable sources, it is NOT evidence based data, since there was no time to test its validity on scientific grounds. It is merely an attempt to share practical advice based upon prior experience and current knowledge.
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