Urologic surgery and invasive procedures during coronavirus pandemic: Retrospective comparison of risk infection in a referral Covid hospital and in a free-Covid hospital.

INTRODUCTION

On 21 February 2020, 'Luigi Sacco' Hospital was identified as a Covid-19 referral Hospital in Lombardy. The Department of Urology of our Healthcare Institution consists of two Urology Units, one at 'L.Sacco' Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Covid-19 hospital) and one at 'Fatebenefratelli' Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Covid-19-free hospital). The Healthcare System's Administration communicated to all personnel the implementation of a planned 'biological risk protocol' at the Covid-19 hospital, while the Covid-19-free hospital followed regular government recommendations. We evaluated the risk of Sars-Cov-2 infection in the patients treated for surgical or invasive urologic procedures during the epidemic in the two different hospitals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

At the Covid-19 hospital, 12 patients underwent surgery and 51 patients invasive diagnostic procedures between 22 February and 8 March 2020; in the same period, at the Covid-19-free hospital, 21 patients underwent surgery and 56 patients invasive diagnostic procedures. We compared the incidence of Sars-Cov-2 infection among the patients who were accessed in the two Urology Units in the period of different restrictive measures after the outbreak of the epidemic.

RESULTS

We registered no cases of Sars-Cov-2 infection in the patients hospitalized in that period in Covid-19 hospital, despite three cases of swab positivity in the Covid-19-free hospital.

CONCLUSION

The early implementation of extraordinary measures to restrict the spread of the virus offers a good protection also in a Covid-19 referral Hospital. The adoption of safety measures may be considered even after the end of the pandemic in all the health systems.