COVID SCREENING IN THE ENDOSCOPY UNIT OF ELCHE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (SPAIN)

Aims Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Endoscopy Unit of Elche University Hospital decided to do clinical, epidemiological and microbiological screening prior to any endoscopic procedure, in addition to the use personal protective equipment. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of these actions on COVID-19 transmission among the patients and the staff; and also to identify when microbiological screening is not necessary.

Methods A clinical-epidemiological questionnaire as well as a PCR test were performed to all patients undergoing an endoscopic procedure from January 2021 to March 2021.

Results The total number of patients who underwent an endoscopic procedure during this period was 542. 2,7% of them had a pre-endoscopy PCR positive result and only 20% of these infected patients were symptomatic. Of the non-infected patients, 3.5% had symptoms. The highest positivity rates occurred during the second week of January 2021 and the third week of February 2021, when the cumulative incidence (CI) was respectively 458 and 648 cases per 100000 inhabitants. However, when the CI was higher (from third week of January 2021 to second week of February 2021) the positivity rates were the lowest (just one case). None of the Endoscopy Unit staff were infected at work.

Conclusions The actions taken were effective in preventing infection and outbreaks in the Endoscopy Unit. However, the data obtained did not allow us to use only the clinical-epidemiological questionnaire as screening. The PCR test continued to be used regardless of the presence of symptoms or the CI at endoscopy time.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 April 2022