Emergency exploratory laparotomy in a COVID-19 patient - A case report

• Published in: Anesthesia and pain medicine (Korean society of anesthesiologists) Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 498 - 504
• Main Authors: Lee, Seong Su, Park, Ji Hyun, Kim, Gunn Hee, Kwon, Mi Young, Kim, Hee Yeong, Moon, Yeon Jin, Kim, Su Jin, Yun, Mi Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Anesthesiologists 01-10-2020; 대한마취통증의학회
• Subjects: anesthetics; covid-19; infection control; medical staff; personal protective equipment; sars-cov-2; surgery; 마취과학
• ISSN: 1975-5171; 2383-7977
• DOI: 10.17085/apm.20041

Background: Surgeries in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) put medical staff at a high risk of infection. We report the anesthetic management and infection control of a mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patient who underwent exploratory laparotomy for suspected duodenal ulcer perforation.Case: A 73-year-old man, mechanically ventilated for confirmed COVID-19, showed clinical and radiographic signs of a perforated duodenal ulcer, and he was transferred under sedation and intubation to a negative-pressure operating room. The operating and assistant staff wore personal protective equipment. High-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters were inserted into the expiratory circuits of the anesthesia machine and portable ventilator. No participating staff contracted COVID-19, although the patient later died due to pneumonia.Conclusions: This report can contribute to establishing clinical guidelines for the surgical management and operation room setting of COVID-19 patients.