CORONAVIRUS DISEASE TRANSMISSION PREVENTED IN AN ENDOSCOPY UNIT WITH UNIVERSAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES AND NO SYSTEMATIC PREPROCEDURAL TESTING

Aims During COVID 19 pandemic some societies recommended universal preprocedure testing for patients scheduled for an endoscopic procedure. However, some other societies recommended against and considered enough to maintain strict infection control strategies. Our aim is to evaluate the outcomes of this strategy in a tertiary endoscopy unit in a COVID-19 high prevalence area.

Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing endoscopy without preprocedure COVID testing at our center from March 2020 to May 2021. PCR performed in the patients receiving an endoscopy was analyzed and patients who tested positive 14 days before and 14 days after were selected. Registry of the endoscopy unit members participating in these procedures was also analyzed.

Results 10,132 procedures were performed in the unit. Based on PCR tests, 26 patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2 PCR between 14 days before and 14 days after the procedure, and 27 endoscopy procedures were performed. 8 procedures were performed in patients with positive COVID-19 test result, and 19 were performed in patients with unknown carrier status. In 23 (88.5%), transmission occurred through social or familial contact, and in 3 (11.5%) cases, transmission occurred in the hospital. Four health care workers in the endoscopy unit became infected during this period with COVID-19 and none of them were related to the endoscopic procedures performed in patients with COVID-19.

Conclusions SARS-Cov-2 positive testing in asymptomatic ambulatory patients is rare and the adequate use of individual protective measures emerges as the main way to control the spread of COVID-19 infection in endoscopy centers.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
14 April 2022