COVID-19 pandemic: management of patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 in Rome COVID Hospital 2 Trauma Centre and safety of our surgical team

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic left a deep mark in the health systems around the globe, leading to an important change in the way we intend the access to the healthcare and its fruition. Hospitals faced something unexpected, and they underwent a deep change and so did orthopaedic activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In “A. Gemelli” University hospital new protocols were adopted for the safe management of patients affected by SARS-CoV-2. Among these patients, six had to be treated also for orthopaedic problems. The management of these patients, from the admission in the Emergency Room (E.R). to the operating room (O.R.), followed the protocols we developed for the coronavirus crisis. RESULTS: Four among the six patients underwent surgical treatments. Two of them showed a change of their clinical status, due to a worsening of COVID-19 symptoms, so the surgical option was postponed. All of them were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit, rather than the Orthopaedic and Traumatology Unit, in order to provide the best measures to prevent the spread of the contagion and to ensure the best treatment for COVID-19. No O.R. staff was infected by SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS: More studies are needed to provide a higher statistical significance to the safety measures taken in order to contrast the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the Surgical Room. Orthopaedic surgeons are more exposed to the contagion due to the particular tools set they use. A more sensible and specific quick test for novel Coronavirus is particularly needed, due to the lack of sensitivity of the serological rapid test.