Safety of Surgery Among Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 PCR-Positive Patients: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Screening with SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests is recommended for all patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, and elective surgery is deferred for positive patients. This study evaluated the outcomes of asymptomatic PCR-positive patients who underwent general anesthesia and surgery. METHODS: Patient data were collected from the hospital records of patients who underwent surgery between January 2021 and May 2022. Asymptomatic patients with a positive PCR test between 7 days before and 5 days after surgery were compared with controls. The cases were propensity score-matched with a 1:2 ratio to the controls. All-cause in-hospital mortality was the primary outcome of the study. RESULTS: A total of 217 asymptomatic PCR-positive patients were matched to 434 controls. In multivariate analysis, PCR-positive test results were not associated with mortality (log(OR) (95%CIs), p; 0.86 (− 0.13, 1.9), 0.09). Age and ASA score (>3) were the most significant risk factors associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: This study found that surgery among asymptomatic PCR-positive patients was not associated with increased mortality.