Managements of 13 emergency cardiac surgeries under COVID-19 pandemic in a Sentinel Hospital

BACKGROUND: The pneumonia outbreak caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) creates many challenges for the healthcare sector. Currently, little is known of how the pandemic has impacted patients with cardiovascular disease. The primary focus of this study was to determine whether emergency cardiovascular surgeries can be carried out safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Between 17 January 2020 and 11 February 2020, 13 patients were admitted to Wuhan Union Hospital for emergency cardiovascular surgery. During this time, Wuhan was a COVID-19 epicenter, and Wuhan Union Hospital is a sentinel hospital located in this area. These patients’ epidemiological histories, clinical records, laboratory assessments, imaging findings, and surgical outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. Throat swabs were collected from some patients preoperatively and all patients postoperatively for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing to determine whether these patients had COVID-19. RESULTS: This cohort included 5 cases of acute aortic dissection, 3 cases of congenital heart disease, 2 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy with end-stage heart failure, 1 case of aortocoronary fistula that had undergone previous surgery, 1 case of subacute infective endocarditis with cerebral infarction, and 1 case of multivessel coronary disease. Six patients were suspected COVID-19 cases (46.2%). There were no confirmed COVID-19 cases in this cohort. None of the patients in this cohort died and none developed severe acute respiratory syndrome, renal failure, or septic shock after surgery. No cross-infection occurred with other patients or medical staff who came into close contact with this cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency surgery is crucial and unavoidable for many patients with acute and severe cardiovascular disease, regardless of the pandemic. Our study indicates that, with adequate preparation and the provision of appropriate treatment, satisfactory outcomes can be achieved for such patients.