Endoscopic sinus and skullbase surgery in pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

PMID: 32441149 DOI: 10.1080/02688697.2020.1769554

Link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=70cz3rUAAAAJ&citation_for_view=70cz3rUAAAAJ:qjMakFHDy7sC

On February 20, 2020, the incidence of Covid-19 began to rapidly escalate in Italy. By March 10th, the government announced many restriction measures, hopefully effective for contagious spreading containment. On March 12th, 2020, the WHO officially announced that the COVID-19 infection represented a global pandemic. 1

By March 25, Italy had the second highest number of Covid-19 infections worldwide and the highest number of deaths. This infection spreads through droplets and therefore the more the operator is exposed to the patientes airways (eg via outpatients, endoscopic diagnostic procedures, surgery), the greater the risk. The viral load of SARS-CoV-2 is higher in the nasal cavity than in the throat, regardless of whether the patient is symptomatic or asymptomatic. 2 For this reason Maxillofacial surgeon, Otolaryngologists and Neurosurgeons are at high risk. 3 Common high-risk procedures in …