Recommendations for prophylaxis of COVID-19 in elective surgeries: literature review

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) made organizational and security adaptations necessary, in order to prevent contamination of patients and staff during surgical procedures. The purpose of this review is to point out the main recommendations necessary for surgical procedures to be performed safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles restricted to the year 2020 were selected in the PUBMED, LILACS and MEDLINE databases using the descriptors “Coronavirus” and “Coronavirus infections” and the qualifier “/ surgery”, in addition to recommendations from the Brazilian College of Surgeons. The most highlighted recommendations are the obligatory use of personal protective equipment, reduce medical teams to essential professionals, postpone selection processes, precise and systematized cleaning, isolate the COVID-19 positive patients in a special area and avoid sharing personal objects that can spread the virus. Special care is needed in the management of the airways due to its high association with the generation of aerosols, seeking to perform it as accurately and quickly as possible. Priority must be given to minimally invasive procedures that have a lower risk of aerosolization when their postponement is not possible, as in cases of emergency and oncological surgery. The importance of preventing the spread of the virus is emphasized, with the responsibility of health professionals and the surgical sector being crucial in developing and complying with safety and control standards. Thus, stricter protocols are needed for the management of pandemics. Therefore, it is necessary a better applicability and consolidation of the effective protocols allied with surveillance over its implementation.