Impacts of severity of Covid-19 infection on the morbidity and mortality of surgical patients.

INTRODUCTION

One of the challenges of surgery on patients with active SARS-CoV-2(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection is the increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality.

AIM

This study will describe and compare the postoperative morbidity and mortality in asymptomatic patients or those with mild infection with those with severe COVID-19 infection undergoing elective or and emergency surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 37 COVID patients who had the infection 7 days prior to and 30 days after emergency or elective surgery. Patients were divided to two groups. Group1: the asymptomatic or those with mild infection that is diagnosed just before surgery (14 patients). Group 2: those who were admitted to the hospital because of severe COVID-19 and were operated for COVID-19 related complications (23 patients). Morbidity and mortality of both groups was studied.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in gender between the two groups. There were 5 females (2 in group 1, and 3 in group 2) and 32 males (12 in group 1, and 20 in group 2). Mean age for all patients was 49.8years (38 for group 1 and 57 for group2). Median age for all patients was 50 years (37.5 for group 1 and 57 years for group 2). Sepsis developed in 7 patients (1 patient in group 1 and in 6 patients in group 2). Statistically there was no significant difference in occurrence of sepsis between the two groups. There was a significant difference in the intensive care stay between the two groups (higher in group 2). Four deaths were reported in group 1 and fourteen in group 2. Eighteen out of thirty-seven patients died.

CONCLUSION

Severity of COVID-19 infection will prolong the hospitalization and ICU stay in surgical patients with no significant effect on mortality.